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Dark Tales of Randamor the Recluse #1
The Invisible Chains - Part 1: Bonds of Hate
Anaxantis, prince of Ximerion.
You will hate him... if your heart isn't big enough.
While the kingdom of Ximerion is threatened at its southern border by a major power, the high king sends his two youngest sons, the half-brothers Anaxantis and Ehandar, as Lord Governors to the Northern Marches where minor raids by wild barbarians are expected. Under the guidance of an old and trusted general, the king hopes to keep the young princes far from the major conflict in the south, while at the same time providing them with a valuable learning experience.
The estranged half-brothers are rivals, but soon they feel attracted to each other. As if this was not enough of a complication, they begin to suspect that they were set up by their own father. The result is a fierce struggle for power where the lines between hate and love become almost indistinguishable and where nothing is what it seems.
425 pages, ebook
First published September 8, 2010
164 people are currently reading
1417 people want to read
About the author
Andrew Ashling
19 books175 followersI write mainly Epic Historical Fantasy with Gay Main Characters
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You can read the first twelve chapters of the Dark Tales of Randamor the Recluse series on my website, Ximerion .
----------
If you'd like me to send you an email when I release a new book, you can subscribe to my New Releases Newsletter
----------
You can follow me on Bluesky
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I have no great literary ambitions. I just tell stories, and I try to do it as good as I can, hoping other people will enjoy reading them.
Most of them have explicit scenes in them, often of a rather kinky nature. But they're only the raisins in the pudding, because — as I already said — I actually enjoy telling stories. That means there always is a plot, or, more often, several plots.
I love exploring what makes people tick, what makes them do the often quirky things they do. Also, I enjoy playing with expectations, boundaries, taboos even.
I don't think I'm going to send out friend requests myself. I write stuff and people get the impression that you only want to befriend them to get them to read your work and write reviews.
That's not to say I don't want friends (or reviews, for that matter). If you want to befriend me, just send me an invitation. I will almost certainly accept.
If you have questions, or remarks, or you need to contact me for another reason, you're very welcome to do so through this contact form .
Andrew
----------
You can read the first twelve chapters of the Dark Tales of Randamor the Recluse series on my website, Ximerion .
----------
If you'd like me to send you an email when I release a new book, you can subscribe to my New Releases Newsletter
----------
You can follow me on Bluesky
----------
I have no great literary ambitions. I just tell stories, and I try to do it as good as I can, hoping other people will enjoy reading them.
Most of them have explicit scenes in them, often of a rather kinky nature. But they're only the raisins in the pudding, because — as I already said — I actually enjoy telling stories. That means there always is a plot, or, more often, several plots.
I love exploring what makes people tick, what makes them do the often quirky things they do. Also, I enjoy playing with expectations, boundaries, taboos even.
I don't think I'm going to send out friend requests myself. I write stuff and people get the impression that you only want to befriend them to get them to read your work and write reviews.
That's not to say I don't want friends (or reviews, for that matter). If you want to befriend me, just send me an invitation. I will almost certainly accept.
If you have questions, or remarks, or you need to contact me for another reason, you're very welcome to do so through this contact form .
Andrew
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 99 reviews
March 1, 2019
Note: This review was written based on all three parts of The Invisible Chains when it was still available as an online read at the author's website.
This novel has inspired me to write my first review EVER and I don't even know where to begin. I apologize in advance, here it goes.
I'm not going to talk about the story itself. The description is perfect and so much goes on it would take forever. Besides I hate spoilers. The whole story from beginning to end and each and every word in between is amazing. As long as it is I never found myself skipping anything, I hung on with white knuckles all the way through, a roller coaster of a ride for sure.
There are a ton of characters here, could have been overwhelming, but somehow I found myself caring about ALL of them, even the ones that didn't deserve it (and there were plenty of those too). Nothing black and white about them. They all had flaws and there were plenty of agendas flying around. This world was wonderfully created, and the maps made it even better. I could clearly picture everything that was happening sometimes too vividly, but I guess that's the point.
All my emotions were fully engaged, repeatedly. There were times I was outraged and disgusted, there were times I cringed, there were times I cried, there were times the suspense had me on the edge and there were times I couldn't stop laughing (the Pages were hysterical).
There are some very dark moments here. Read the warnings under the description, they are right on point. Still, it was very nicely balanced. Just when it was beginning to be too much, I was brought back with lighter and humorous moments.
I don't know if this is helpful. Maybe I just should have said "READ IT. IT'S AWESOME!!!" :)
This novel has inspired me to write my first review EVER and I don't even know where to begin. I apologize in advance, here it goes.
I'm not going to talk about the story itself. The description is perfect and so much goes on it would take forever. Besides I hate spoilers. The whole story from beginning to end and each and every word in between is amazing. As long as it is I never found myself skipping anything, I hung on with white knuckles all the way through, a roller coaster of a ride for sure.
There are a ton of characters here, could have been overwhelming, but somehow I found myself caring about ALL of them, even the ones that didn't deserve it (and there were plenty of those too). Nothing black and white about them. They all had flaws and there were plenty of agendas flying around. This world was wonderfully created, and the maps made it even better. I could clearly picture everything that was happening sometimes too vividly, but I guess that's the point.
All my emotions were fully engaged, repeatedly. There were times I was outraged and disgusted, there were times I cringed, there were times I cried, there were times the suspense had me on the edge and there were times I couldn't stop laughing (the Pages were hysterical).
There are some very dark moments here. Read the warnings under the description, they are right on point. Still, it was very nicely balanced. Just when it was beginning to be too much, I was brought back with lighter and humorous moments.
I don't know if this is helpful. Maybe I just should have said "READ IT. IT'S AWESOME!!!" :)
Read
October 4, 2010I was actually a bit surprised to discover my novel had been listed here.
My thanks to whoever took the trouble. I appreciate it.
My thanks to whoever took the trouble. I appreciate it.
June 27, 2013
For the first half of the book, I kept calling Anaxantis Anaximander in my mind - you know, like the Greek philosopher - and Hemarchidas became Hermachiadas. Don't ask why, because I have no idea. I suppose I just can't handle weird fantasy names very well.
On to the story.
Oh boy, this was so good! Intense, compelling, intriguing, thrilling, a little bit taboo - though there's not much that could be considered taboo for me anymore, especially not incest. *blush/shrug* But there is non-con too, and I have to say that my first time reading that went remarkably smoothly. There must be some twisted core in me.
The beginning was so-so, and that's why this book doesn't get a full shining five stars for me. The speech patterns, dialogues, characterisation and fast changes of heart of the main characters were pretty basic and almost cartoonish, which lent a kind of superficial feel to the book for a while.
I bring to you as an example this sentence, which struck me as downright idiotic: “Oh, I am sorry, I've been too forceful. Now I've hurt you and made you cry,” Anaxantis said ruefully.
*raises eyebrow* For fucking real? *smh*
Don't you worry, though, because after the first fifty pages the author really hits his stride and this turns into a truly amazing novel.
I was still frustrated for a while, because I couldn't understand if the author was simply being flighty and unorganised or was purposefully withholding information to tease the reader. I realised that the latter was true about the same time I realised that this is exactly the way Anaxantis acts and the author was either drawing a parallel between himself and the prince or just mirroring his ways, which are both quite clever courses of action. Of course, it could all be my imagination and the narration could just be casually organised in such a way that by pure chance I got to that conclusion. But I doubt it.
So, from page 50 on, this turned into a rich novel with multiple, interwoven plots and ever changing and evolving relationships between the characters - a huge, varied and colourful cast of them - and there were major plot points that pretty much blew my mind - like the short segment about empty promises and idle threats, completed by a delicious snippet of character backstory, around which the events that most attracted me to this book revolved. Damn, I'm getting good at talking about books without spoilering.
This book honestly had it all. Adventure, friendship, character growth, war (or, well, the set-up for a battle, but I sense great things are coming), political intrigue, wounded feels and wounded bodies. It even had sex - but it wasn't really explicit and consequently not very satisfying, at least by my standards. But I'm a pervy bitch, so you might want to see for yourself.
A warning: don't read this for the deliciously twisted relationship between Anaxantis and Ehandar. It is deliciously twisted, but there's not much of it after the half-mark, because Anaxanis will be heavily otherwise occupied. Don't you worry, people, because that part is wonderfully juicy and entertaining too, just in a completely different way - veering towards the more political/strategical side of things. And underneath it all there was still the thrumming tension - mostly emotional and psychological, but sexual too - between the two Tanahkos brothers. These two sides of the story effectively collaborated in keeping me on the edge of my seat for 72 hours straight.
Honestly, guys, read this book. Trust me, and read it.
---
Random tidbit of information: Tinka is a wooden doll whose leg fell off. It's awesome to keep finding people - or objects - with GoodReaders' names in books.
---
I have this thing where I can't delete anything I've written in my review space, because what if someone has read it, and then they come back and it's not there anymore? That happened to me a few times, and it's maddening. I wouldn't want to inflict that on somebody else. So bear with me, even if what's under here is not the actual review.
---
Actual review to come - that's what I wrote when I first got the book, just before letting it languish on my ereader for months. *smh*
---
So I've just read the first 2 pages of Beginnings, the free excerpt (which is actually half of the novel) and I've realized two things:
1. I really, reeeally like the writing style and the general premise;
2. I won't be able to read half of a novel without wanting the other half immediately, even if I hate it.
So Beginnings goes off my shelf, and on goes Bonds of Hate.
On to the story.
Oh boy, this was so good! Intense, compelling, intriguing, thrilling, a little bit taboo - though there's not much that could be considered taboo for me anymore, especially not incest. *blush/shrug* But there is non-con too, and I have to say that my first time reading that went remarkably smoothly. There must be some twisted core in me.
The beginning was so-so, and that's why this book doesn't get a full shining five stars for me. The speech patterns, dialogues, characterisation and fast changes of heart of the main characters were pretty basic and almost cartoonish, which lent a kind of superficial feel to the book for a while.
I bring to you as an example this sentence, which struck me as downright idiotic: “Oh, I am sorry, I've been too forceful. Now I've hurt you and made you cry,” Anaxantis said ruefully.
*raises eyebrow* For fucking real? *smh*
Don't you worry, though, because after the first fifty pages the author really hits his stride and this turns into a truly amazing novel.
I was still frustrated for a while, because I couldn't understand if the author was simply being flighty and unorganised or was purposefully withholding information to tease the reader. I realised that the latter was true about the same time I realised that this is exactly the way Anaxantis acts and the author was either drawing a parallel between himself and the prince or just mirroring his ways, which are both quite clever courses of action. Of course, it could all be my imagination and the narration could just be casually organised in such a way that by pure chance I got to that conclusion. But I doubt it.
So, from page 50 on, this turned into a rich novel with multiple, interwoven plots and ever changing and evolving relationships between the characters - a huge, varied and colourful cast of them - and there were major plot points that pretty much blew my mind - like the short segment about empty promises and idle threats, completed by a delicious snippet of character backstory, around which the events that most attracted me to this book revolved. Damn, I'm getting good at talking about books without spoilering.
This book honestly had it all. Adventure, friendship, character growth, war (or, well, the set-up for a battle, but I sense great things are coming), political intrigue, wounded feels and wounded bodies. It even had sex - but it wasn't really explicit and consequently not very satisfying, at least by my standards. But I'm a pervy bitch, so you might want to see for yourself.
A warning: don't read this for the deliciously twisted relationship between Anaxantis and Ehandar. It is deliciously twisted, but there's not much of it after the half-mark, because Anaxanis will be heavily otherwise occupied. Don't you worry, people, because that part is wonderfully juicy and entertaining too, just in a completely different way - veering towards the more political/strategical side of things. And underneath it all there was still the thrumming tension - mostly emotional and psychological, but sexual too - between the two Tanahkos brothers. These two sides of the story effectively collaborated in keeping me on the edge of my seat for 72 hours straight.
Honestly, guys, read this book. Trust me, and read it.
---
Random tidbit of information: Tinka is a wooden doll whose leg fell off. It's awesome to keep finding people - or objects - with GoodReaders' names in books.
---
I have this thing where I can't delete anything I've written in my review space, because what if someone has read it, and then they come back and it's not there anymore? That happened to me a few times, and it's maddening. I wouldn't want to inflict that on somebody else. So bear with me, even if what's under here is not the actual review.
---
Actual review to come - that's what I wrote when I first got the book, just before letting it languish on my ereader for months. *smh*
---
So I've just read the first 2 pages of Beginnings, the free excerpt (which is actually half of the novel) and I've realized two things:
1. I really, reeeally like the writing style and the general premise;
2. I won't be able to read half of a novel without wanting the other half immediately, even if I hate it.
So Beginnings goes off my shelf, and on goes Bonds of Hate.
July 23, 2011
I’m one of those shy readers who rely mostly on the star rating for review or the “like” button if I find reviewers who come close to describing what I have in mind about a particular book. To all those authors whose books I’ve given five stars to, I apologize for not being brave enough in expressing my appreciation for your efforts by writing my own reviews. Reading Andrew Ashling’s The Invisible Chains (Part 1) made me realize that I have a responsibility as a reader to help promote talented authors that have been hiding in plain sight and need to be brought into the spotlight. I want them to keep writing.
This is the first m/m book that gave me a truly fantastic imaginative journey amongst royals, nobles, followers, enemies, impostors and barbarians. The world-building started with a bang. For a book with hundreds of pages, there were no over-written narratives that would have made me skip pages. The fascinating characters, cunning power plays, and crafty twists had me wanting to observe the gripping gameplay going on in the book from a bird’s-eye view. If I’m that engaged from all angles, minor typos do not even affect me. It was a long read but there were tons of characters with their own stories of dangerous secrets, stubborn quests for power and intriguing family dynamics that all relate to the main plot.
The book is an action-adventure fiction with mystery and intensely deep tough love. It is medieval in setting but it is NOT the type of fantasy that has any kind of magic, folklore or anything supernatural. Just some princely twink, poisonous concoctions and a weird stool with a knob in the center of the seat:)
Note the subtitle of the series, “The Dark Tales...” so expect some dark moments in the book but trust the author to get you past those. The series is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
This is the first m/m book that gave me a truly fantastic imaginative journey amongst royals, nobles, followers, enemies, impostors and barbarians. The world-building started with a bang. For a book with hundreds of pages, there were no over-written narratives that would have made me skip pages. The fascinating characters, cunning power plays, and crafty twists had me wanting to observe the gripping gameplay going on in the book from a bird’s-eye view. If I’m that engaged from all angles, minor typos do not even affect me. It was a long read but there were tons of characters with their own stories of dangerous secrets, stubborn quests for power and intriguing family dynamics that all relate to the main plot.
The book is an action-adventure fiction with mystery and intensely deep tough love. It is medieval in setting but it is NOT the type of fantasy that has any kind of magic, folklore or anything supernatural. Just some princely twink, poisonous concoctions and a weird stool with a knob in the center of the seat:)
Note the subtitle of the series, “The Dark Tales...” so expect some dark moments in the book but trust the author to get you past those. The series is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
August 29, 2014
DNF @ 26%
If this book still hasn't interested me after 109 pages, I don't think it's going to happen. The writing is fucking awful, and I'm reading the edited version. The constant and simplistic inner monologue of every character made me want to bang my head against the wall.
The fact that they were in both italics and quotation marks irritated me to no end. When the characters were speaking aloud, the dialogue was a weird mix of fantasy-appropriate ("Madam, you will kindly refrain from barging into my council, yelling like a common fishwife") and modern speech ("Yeah", "I'm on it").
It seemed like a new made up fantasy name was introduced in every paragraph of the book. I appreciate the effort to build a complex world in which the story takes place, but it just didn't work.
The plot didn't interest me, and the behavior of the characters was so unrealistic that it was eyeroll-worthy. Even if they were being devious, as I assume Anaxantis was, it didn't make sense that his brother would be so easily fooled. I'm pretty sure I know where the story is going, but I can't be bothered to continue and find out if I'm right.
If this book still hasn't interested me after 109 pages, I don't think it's going to happen. The writing is fucking awful, and I'm reading the edited version. The constant and simplistic inner monologue of every character made me want to bang my head against the wall.
The fact that they were in both italics and quotation marks irritated me to no end. When the characters were speaking aloud, the dialogue was a weird mix of fantasy-appropriate ("Madam, you will kindly refrain from barging into my council, yelling like a common fishwife") and modern speech ("Yeah", "I'm on it").
It seemed like a new made up fantasy name was introduced in every paragraph of the book. I appreciate the effort to build a complex world in which the story takes place, but it just didn't work.
The plot didn't interest me, and the behavior of the characters was so unrealistic that it was eyeroll-worthy. Even if they were being devious, as I assume Anaxantis was, it didn't make sense that his brother would be so easily fooled. I'm pretty sure I know where the story is going, but I can't be bothered to continue and find out if I'm right.
October 6, 2012
So I would have to go with a 4.25 on this. The storytelling here is vividly rich and I love the plot. The characters are well developed and multi-faceted and goodness knows, they put me through the wringer, especially Ana. The 'hate' between the brothers is intriguing right to the last sentence, because balancing all that hate and pain is a deep, very effed up love. You will find yourself alternatively siding with one brother and then the other because their dilemma is so well written.
Having said that, I struggled with a few issues:
The author's writing style took some getting used to. I have never come across full paragraphs of 'thoughts' in Italics in a book before. This gave the book a very amateurish feel and took away from the poignancy of the storytelling. It also meant that that the story was told from the point of view of every single character, which made for a lot of head jumping and chaos. It made the story very choppy and distracting. My natural inclination was to skip the Italics altogether. Thankfully, by the middle of the book the use of Italic 'thoughts' diminished significantly, to the point of near extinction by the end. The story was made much smoother and more pleasant with its elimination.
The use of modern phrases jarred. 'You guys,' one Royal page exclaiming that something was 'neat' (as in cool) etc. just felt out of place and took away from the world building.
Lack of editing - not so much spelling or punctuation, but placement and story building. eg. After Ehandar's unfortunate abuse of Ana, Ana swears revenge. He swears to bring Ehandar to his lowest and then to possibly kill him. The next thing we see is Ana offering himself to Ehandar willingly and seemingly falling in love with him. With the bazillion 'thoughts' floating around, one would think that at some point AFTER the silent vow, Ana would have 'thought' about updates to his plan. Instead, the reader is left to guess. Is this part of his revenge or is he really forgiving his brother? Is he deliberately trying to seduce Ehandar or did he genuinely miss him so much that he couldn't wait to leap into his arms? Even in Ana's private moments he seems to revel in his brother's love so we're not really sure what's going on. At least I wasn't. It was just strange that we were privy to every thought of every single character, but not to the thoughts that really mattered. In my opinion, this insight should have been placed earlier in the book so the reader would know what was going on.
Another example of,IMO, poor placement is Ana's memory of what was done to him at Ehandar's hands. Yes, we lived it but because it was just the one major incident that stood out and because he never really recounted it or thought about it in any vivid detail, Ehandar's about-face and eventual love of Ana AND Ana's apparent reciprocation made Ehandar's downfall extremely distasteful. I found myself not only empathizing with Ehandar but actually starting to hate Ana for taking things too far(maybe this was the author's intention). It's not until he breaks down and confesses to his best friend everything that transpired that we truly get a glimpse of Ana's psyche and can feel for him again. Again, maybe this was the author's intention but giving us a morsel here and there throughout the book would have gone a long way to balance the empathy.
As it was, by the end, I didn't know what to feel. They were both justified in their hurt and anger but, by God, Ana brought Ehandar to his knees and then some. Even knowing that Ehandar deserved it, Ana made me kind of hate him. I guess that means my heart isn't big enough (from the blurb) or it could be that Ana became unlikeable. Yes, Ehandar kept you locked up but had he not done that Ana, you would still be a sickly boy who couldn't ride 2 miles without getting dizzy, or have you forgotten?? Had he not basically detoxed you by force, you would not have found out the truth about the 'medicine' you've been taking for years. Sigh. Ehandar did that. He summoned the doctor and recounted your medical history in painstaking detail. He saved you. It's hard to fully Ana hate though because the author does a great job of showing his kindness to friends, his ambition, his determination to protect the realm. I don't know. I'm kind of all over the place. It's even more complicated because Ana does confess that, in spite of it all, he DOES love Ehandar and would have given him everything had he just asked.
Apart from the brothers, there are other stories, multiple stories taking place at the same time, but I only cared about the brothers and Ana's rise to prominence. I pretty much skimmed everything with Ana's mother and the sisterhood.
This was a great read with a choppy start, but it's obvious that author found his footing later on. I did not get justice for Ehandar in this book so I'm going in to Book 2 hoping that I do there.
See you on the other side.
Having said that, I struggled with a few issues:
The author's writing style took some getting used to. I have never come across full paragraphs of 'thoughts' in Italics in a book before. This gave the book a very amateurish feel and took away from the poignancy of the storytelling. It also meant that that the story was told from the point of view of every single character, which made for a lot of head jumping and chaos. It made the story very choppy and distracting. My natural inclination was to skip the Italics altogether. Thankfully, by the middle of the book the use of Italic 'thoughts' diminished significantly, to the point of near extinction by the end. The story was made much smoother and more pleasant with its elimination.
The use of modern phrases jarred. 'You guys,' one Royal page exclaiming that something was 'neat' (as in cool) etc. just felt out of place and took away from the world building.
Lack of editing - not so much spelling or punctuation, but placement and story building. eg. After Ehandar's unfortunate abuse of Ana, Ana swears revenge. He swears to bring Ehandar to his lowest and then to possibly kill him. The next thing we see is Ana offering himself to Ehandar willingly and seemingly falling in love with him. With the bazillion 'thoughts' floating around, one would think that at some point AFTER the silent vow, Ana would have 'thought' about updates to his plan. Instead, the reader is left to guess. Is this part of his revenge or is he really forgiving his brother? Is he deliberately trying to seduce Ehandar or did he genuinely miss him so much that he couldn't wait to leap into his arms? Even in Ana's private moments he seems to revel in his brother's love so we're not really sure what's going on. At least I wasn't. It was just strange that we were privy to every thought of every single character, but not to the thoughts that really mattered. In my opinion, this insight should have been placed earlier in the book so the reader would know what was going on.
Another example of,IMO, poor placement is Ana's memory of what was done to him at Ehandar's hands. Yes, we lived it but because it was just the one major incident that stood out and because he never really recounted it or thought about it in any vivid detail, Ehandar's about-face and eventual love of Ana AND Ana's apparent reciprocation made Ehandar's downfall extremely distasteful. I found myself not only empathizing with Ehandar but actually starting to hate Ana for taking things too far(maybe this was the author's intention). It's not until he breaks down and confesses to his best friend everything that transpired that we truly get a glimpse of Ana's psyche and can feel for him again. Again, maybe this was the author's intention but giving us a morsel here and there throughout the book would have gone a long way to balance the empathy.
As it was, by the end, I didn't know what to feel. They were both justified in their hurt and anger but, by God, Ana brought Ehandar to his knees and then some. Even knowing that Ehandar deserved it, Ana made me kind of hate him. I guess that means my heart isn't big enough (from the blurb) or it could be that Ana became unlikeable. Yes, Ehandar kept you locked up but had he not done that Ana, you would still be a sickly boy who couldn't ride 2 miles without getting dizzy, or have you forgotten?? Had he not basically detoxed you by force, you would not have found out the truth about the 'medicine' you've been taking for years. Sigh. Ehandar did that. He summoned the doctor and recounted your medical history in painstaking detail. He saved you. It's hard to fully Ana hate though because the author does a great job of showing his kindness to friends, his ambition, his determination to protect the realm. I don't know. I'm kind of all over the place. It's even more complicated because Ana does confess that, in spite of it all, he DOES love Ehandar and would have given him everything had he just asked.
Apart from the brothers, there are other stories, multiple stories taking place at the same time, but I only cared about the brothers and Ana's rise to prominence. I pretty much skimmed everything with Ana's mother and the sisterhood.
This was a great read with a choppy start, but it's obvious that author found his footing later on. I did not get justice for Ehandar in this book so I'm going in to Book 2 hoping that I do there.
See you on the other side.
April 10, 2011
Wow, this is was intense read. Well written and captivating, I experienced a wide range of emotions and felt at times like I was the one being deceived and lied to. I was sucked into the story faster than I thought possible and it took all I had to put the book down to get some sleep.
First and foremost, this is a very dark, complex epic fantasy that's only just beginning and not for the faint of heart. I have no doubt as this epic story continues that every dark and horrible event will happen but I'm also hoping along with those terrible things will lie something beautiful and magical about, and in, these stories.
Anaxantis while a weak, kind and fragile young boy in the beginning of the story grows up and becomes almost the exact opposite. He becomes a young man who's strong, cunning, hateful, cruel and cold at times but still has a sense of honor and caring about him in regards to certain matters. Ehandar, Anaxantis' half-brother, changed as well. He was arrogant, mean and dismissive in the beginning but turns into essentially a slave by the end having fallen for the deceit and web of half-lies Anaxantis created to act out his revenge on the hurtful acts Ehandar did to him. The love shared between the half-brothers, while true and honest, is not so simple. It's confusing and twisted and based a lot on hurt, deception, abuse, revenge, hate and remorse. It's intriguing while at the same time sad and astonishing. Sad because their roles are reversed and you get a taste of how deep Ehandar's love is for Anaxantis and just how unstable Anaxantis is at times.
From the beginning the brothers are doomed to fail, set up by their father, the king, who thought the two of his youngest sons were essentially useless. The brothers, however, are trying anything in their power to prove their father wrong once they know about their destined failure. With Anaxantis' brains and Ehandar's fighting abilities, you'd imagine they'd make the perfect, formidable pair. Unfortunately, Ehandar is too arrogant to listen to his younger brother and sets events in motion that leads them to where they get to by the end of the book. From there everything in Ehandar's life turns to dust while Anaxantis' becomes everything he desires. He takes to the life of lord governor and becomes ruthless and efficient, anticipating things before they happen and dealing with them accordingly. He makes friends based on usefulness instead of what class they are from and before he knows it, he's become a lord governor that people want to follow. I could write a synopsis about this book and just go on and on and on, writing ever single little thing about this story but that would make for one long review, even though this one is already long. Lol
All you need to know is this: It's captivating. There's a bunch of entertaining characters and interesting places, plans of action and horrible acts. Manipulations, deceits, betrayals, a hint of cruelty and remorse. It's a fantastic read and above all else, it's the start of an epic one. There's more to it and I can't wait to read it. I want to know what happens to Anaxantis and Ehandar and whether or not they get an HEA (which they better or else I'm coming after you, Andrew ;-P). I want to know about all the secondary characters like Hemarchidas, Lethoras, Bortram, Obyann (who's so cute and surly), Arranulf, and Rahendo but most of all, I want to know how Anaxantis handles his family and the battle and whether or not Ehandar will ever retain everything Anaxantis made him lose.
I definitely can't wait for the sequel. It can't come soon enough! Whole-heartily recommended :D
First and foremost, this is a very dark, complex epic fantasy that's only just beginning and not for the faint of heart. I have no doubt as this epic story continues that every dark and horrible event will happen but I'm also hoping along with those terrible things will lie something beautiful and magical about, and in, these stories.
Anaxantis while a weak, kind and fragile young boy in the beginning of the story grows up and becomes almost the exact opposite. He becomes a young man who's strong, cunning, hateful, cruel and cold at times but still has a sense of honor and caring about him in regards to certain matters. Ehandar, Anaxantis' half-brother, changed as well. He was arrogant, mean and dismissive in the beginning but turns into essentially a slave by the end having fallen for the deceit and web of half-lies Anaxantis created to act out his revenge on the hurtful acts Ehandar did to him. The love shared between the half-brothers, while true and honest, is not so simple. It's confusing and twisted and based a lot on hurt, deception, abuse, revenge, hate and remorse. It's intriguing while at the same time sad and astonishing. Sad because their roles are reversed and you get a taste of how deep Ehandar's love is for Anaxantis and just how unstable Anaxantis is at times.
From the beginning the brothers are doomed to fail, set up by their father, the king, who thought the two of his youngest sons were essentially useless. The brothers, however, are trying anything in their power to prove their father wrong once they know about their destined failure. With Anaxantis' brains and Ehandar's fighting abilities, you'd imagine they'd make the perfect, formidable pair. Unfortunately, Ehandar is too arrogant to listen to his younger brother and sets events in motion that leads them to where they get to by the end of the book. From there everything in Ehandar's life turns to dust while Anaxantis' becomes everything he desires. He takes to the life of lord governor and becomes ruthless and efficient, anticipating things before they happen and dealing with them accordingly. He makes friends based on usefulness instead of what class they are from and before he knows it, he's become a lord governor that people want to follow. I could write a synopsis about this book and just go on and on and on, writing ever single little thing about this story but that would make for one long review, even though this one is already long. Lol
All you need to know is this: It's captivating. There's a bunch of entertaining characters and interesting places, plans of action and horrible acts. Manipulations, deceits, betrayals, a hint of cruelty and remorse. It's a fantastic read and above all else, it's the start of an epic one. There's more to it and I can't wait to read it. I want to know what happens to Anaxantis and Ehandar and whether or not they get an HEA (which they better or else I'm coming after you, Andrew ;-P). I want to know about all the secondary characters like Hemarchidas, Lethoras, Bortram, Obyann (who's so cute and surly), Arranulf, and Rahendo but most of all, I want to know how Anaxantis handles his family and the battle and whether or not Ehandar will ever retain everything Anaxantis made him lose.
I definitely can't wait for the sequel. It can't come soon enough! Whole-heartily recommended :D
April 10, 2011
The Invisible Chains is the polar opposite of a Bubbles-safe read.
Very good dark fantasy about a royal family, deception, intrigue, abuse, war, friendship, loss, triumph, revenge, love vs. hate..
The world building was solid enough, the very large cast of characters interesting and never monotonous, fascinating customs and a very epic story in the making.
Main character, Anaxantis is very complex and (at least that is how I saw it) not completely sound mentally. A part of the blame for that goes to Ehandar, Anaxantis' half-brother, sexual "partner", slave, servant, lover, tormentor and his former abuser.
The adventure was exciting and even though a lot of beautiful, horrible and terrifying things happened, the story is still only at its starting point. Can not wait for the sequel!
"Be warned: there will be scenes of domination and rape, but never random or unexplained. Of course there will be smut. There will also be incest. The graphic description of armed conflict and the sacking of villages and cities may not be to everybody's taste. Characters you might have grown to love will die and their death will not always be an easy one.
It is doubtful that at the end of the story there will be anybody left who is totally innocent."
The warning is not there just for fun, take it seriously and if you still deem yourself brave enough, read it!
Very good dark fantasy about a royal family, deception, intrigue, abuse, war, friendship, loss, triumph, revenge, love vs. hate..
The world building was solid enough, the very large cast of characters interesting and never monotonous, fascinating customs and a very epic story in the making.
Main character, Anaxantis is very complex and (at least that is how I saw it) not completely sound mentally. A part of the blame for that goes to Ehandar, Anaxantis' half-brother, sexual "partner", slave, servant, lover, tormentor and his former abuser.
The adventure was exciting and even though a lot of beautiful, horrible and terrifying things happened, the story is still only at its starting point. Can not wait for the sequel!
"Be warned: there will be scenes of domination and rape, but never random or unexplained. Of course there will be smut. There will also be incest. The graphic description of armed conflict and the sacking of villages and cities may not be to everybody's taste. Characters you might have grown to love will die and their death will not always be an easy one.
It is doubtful that at the end of the story there will be anybody left who is totally innocent."
The warning is not there just for fun, take it seriously and if you still deem yourself brave enough, read it!
August 24, 2011
As always with Andrew Ashling, an intense read. Mr. Ashling has an uncanny knack for creating complex characters who you really want to hate, but you can't help but be drawn to. In this first of a series (no, there is no real resolution in this first novel), the author creates a universe that could be drawn from our medieval history and which involves complex, canny political gamesmanship. I have to admit that it took me a number of chapters to get into the story, and I was tempted to put it down once or twice, but I'm glad I stuck it out in the end. The last three or four chapters of the book are some of the best I've read in this genre for their emotional impact and the way in which they dealt with a very difficult topic.
Without going into depth to explain the plot, a complicated political drama involving the King of Ximerion and his four sons, the action in this installment of the series centers around two half-brothers, Anaxantis and Ehandar. The princes are sent to the far reaches of the kingdom, to a region in which a border kingdom threatens to invade. They are given almost no troops or means of protecting themselves - the King wants to see what they are made of and, seeing as they are the two youngest of his sons, the King isn't terribly worried about their futures.
Not sure if you'd call this a spoiler, so I'll hide it, just in case.
I would have rated this wonderful book an unhesitating 5 stars, but for a few complaints. First, the exposition is very slow and it took me more than half of the book before I felt that I connected with the characters (the reason I almost gave up on it a few times). That said, when I did connect with Ehandar and Anaxantis, I did so thoroughly and I have no doubt that I'll be reading the rest of the series.
Also, there are a number of editing "misses" that were distracting and could have easily been fixed before publication (use of "it's" instead of "its" throughout for the possessive form stood out as the most glaring example). These editing problems took something away from Mr. Ashling's excellent (and intelligent) writing. I had the same gripe with the last book I read of his, as well.
I've read some of the other reviews for the book, and I have to say that I had some misgivings about the modern language in the book in the context of this medieval society. To me, this was mostly because the language felt "uneven." In parts of the book, the language is quite formal, but at other times, it is overtly colloquial, 21st century speech (as in "hey, guys!"). Otherwise, I probably would not have noticed the modern speech at all. Again, better editing probably would have helped smooth this out.
These relatively small complaints aside, Mr. Ashling's writing can be overwhelmingly (and wonderfully) emotional at times, and I've read few other authors who can create such wonderfully complex characters. I highly recommend the series to anyone who enjoys fantasy along the lines of King Arthur and The Lord of the Rings.
NOTE: Rating updated 11/6/12 to reflect Mr. Ashling's edit of the original version.
Without going into depth to explain the plot, a complicated political drama involving the King of Ximerion and his four sons, the action in this installment of the series centers around two half-brothers, Anaxantis and Ehandar. The princes are sent to the far reaches of the kingdom, to a region in which a border kingdom threatens to invade. They are given almost no troops or means of protecting themselves - the King wants to see what they are made of and, seeing as they are the two youngest of his sons, the King isn't terribly worried about their futures.
Not sure if you'd call this a spoiler, so I'll hide it, just in case.
I would have rated this wonderful book an unhesitating 5 stars, but for a few complaints. First, the exposition is very slow and it took me more than half of the book before I felt that I connected with the characters (the reason I almost gave up on it a few times). That said, when I did connect with Ehandar and Anaxantis, I did so thoroughly and I have no doubt that I'll be reading the rest of the series.
Also, there are a number of editing "misses" that were distracting and could have easily been fixed before publication (use of "it's" instead of "its" throughout for the possessive form stood out as the most glaring example). These editing problems took something away from Mr. Ashling's excellent (and intelligent) writing. I had the same gripe with the last book I read of his, as well.
I've read some of the other reviews for the book, and I have to say that I had some misgivings about the modern language in the book in the context of this medieval society. To me, this was mostly because the language felt "uneven." In parts of the book, the language is quite formal, but at other times, it is overtly colloquial, 21st century speech (as in "hey, guys!"). Otherwise, I probably would not have noticed the modern speech at all. Again, better editing probably would have helped smooth this out.
These relatively small complaints aside, Mr. Ashling's writing can be overwhelmingly (and wonderfully) emotional at times, and I've read few other authors who can create such wonderfully complex characters. I highly recommend the series to anyone who enjoys fantasy along the lines of King Arthur and The Lord of the Rings.
NOTE: Rating updated 11/6/12 to reflect Mr. Ashling's edit of the original version.
July 9, 2011
George R.R. Martin This Isn't...
I freely admit to being a fantasy purist and there are certain things I expect from a fantasy novel. One of the most important is language. When I read fantasy I want to feel as if I'm in another world with its own cultures and mores. Unfortunately, The Invisible Chains falls short in this area and kept me from fully enjoying this otherwise highly imaginative and daring fantasy novel. There were just too many modern phrases that didn't belong in a story set in a mythical far-away land and I kept getting jarred out of the flow of the tale.
Seriously, I winced when one of the characters refers to an older woman as "broad". The first thing I thought of was perhaps "biddy" or even "beldame". At worst "bitch" since it seemed she was a potential adversary.
In spite of the language fail, this dark tale of half-brothers Anaxantis and Ehandar in love and at war was pretty epic and in spite of the overuse of modern terms I plan to read part two. I found Anaxantis to be a very complex and troubled young man thrust (literally and figuratively) into a role that for those who helped to shape it--father, mother and brothers--they may all grow to regret. I began hating Ehandar, Anaxantis' half-brother but as the story progressed, I started seeing him as much a victim of a power-mad and paranoid father and a role for which he truly is not suited. Theirs is a family that makes the Ptolemies look like The Brady Bunch. Add to this utterly dysfunctional family plots and counterplots, wicked kings and powerful goddesses, friendships gained and unrequited love and stir well.
I really would have liked to have rated this book higher, but the fantasy snob in me has standards. Immerse me in another world; don't just window dress.
I freely admit to being a fantasy purist and there are certain things I expect from a fantasy novel. One of the most important is language. When I read fantasy I want to feel as if I'm in another world with its own cultures and mores. Unfortunately, The Invisible Chains falls short in this area and kept me from fully enjoying this otherwise highly imaginative and daring fantasy novel. There were just too many modern phrases that didn't belong in a story set in a mythical far-away land and I kept getting jarred out of the flow of the tale.
Seriously, I winced when one of the characters refers to an older woman as "broad". The first thing I thought of was perhaps "biddy" or even "beldame". At worst "bitch" since it seemed she was a potential adversary.
In spite of the language fail, this dark tale of half-brothers Anaxantis and Ehandar in love and at war was pretty epic and in spite of the overuse of modern terms I plan to read part two. I found Anaxantis to be a very complex and troubled young man thrust (literally and figuratively) into a role that for those who helped to shape it--father, mother and brothers--they may all grow to regret. I began hating Ehandar, Anaxantis' half-brother but as the story progressed, I started seeing him as much a victim of a power-mad and paranoid father and a role for which he truly is not suited. Theirs is a family that makes the Ptolemies look like The Brady Bunch. Add to this utterly dysfunctional family plots and counterplots, wicked kings and powerful goddesses, friendships gained and unrequited love and stir well.
I really would have liked to have rated this book higher, but the fantasy snob in me has standards. Immerse me in another world; don't just window dress.
April 28, 2012
The writing is utterly execrable (and give the man a proof reader!), but I have to find out what Anaxantis will do now. It's on to volume two for me.
January 5, 2013
That ( spoiler link ) is not actually a spoiler, but just my "currently reading" review.
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This was a bit difficult for me to read, to be honest.
Wow. That was such an understatement even I laughed when I reread that sentence.
As you can probably tell from my review while I was currently reading this book, I was in pieces. Shambles, actually. Apparently pitiful enough that Mr Ashling kindly messaged me to try and help me out and such (which I sincerely thank you for, by the way).
But somehow after I reached a certain point things actually became much easier and I managed to actually focus on how damn fantastic the writing and story was. I'm still debating about the characters. They kind of scare me. Makes me believe less in the good side of us, as humans. Even more than the news has ever managed to do.
And for some reason I hate Hemarchidas. I really really want to wring his neck. For no reason at all. He does nothing neck-wringing-worthy in the book. Zilch. But I still want to.
Anyway I'm going to take this liking thing even further, and say that I actually really like Anaxantis. Oh trust me, I've had a lot of mixed feelings about him. I think for the majority of the book I hated him enough to start a whole damn club about it, though I'm pretty sure that's just my mind blaming him for all the pain and shit I went through while I was reading it. But now, though I feel that he really is going too far with his treatment of Ehandar, I also don't hate him for it. I trust him to get through this and understand that Ehandar loves the fuck out of him. Well and truly does. And that rapist side of him isn't some monster that's going to come out if Anaxantis pushes him too far.
At least I hope it doesn't anyway.
In regards to my difficulty reading this book, I soon got over the nausea and about-to-cry state and just started taking things into stride.
"Okay, Anaxantis is a nutjob. Right. Got it. Let's keep going"
Right. . . That's pretty crazy Anaxantis, but okay. That's okay. You go be crazy all you want.
Yes. I did occasionally have to talk to him (myself) just to pull myself through anything Mr Ashling threw at me but it worked well.
I'm quite surprised that, after finishing this, I don't exactly feel like I need to drown myself in insta-love fluff and sexed up romances. Though I probably still will for safe measures. But I don't feel a dying need to.
Despite all the missteps and setbacks I faced whilst reading this book, it enthralled me to an extent where I could be hurting inside and still refusing to put the book down.
It really is worth the read, however painful it may be for you, especially if you're an avid fluff reader.
It will break your heart, no doubt. From horror, from pain, from the tentative hope that shit will get better-- it all adds up. But somehow that's what makes this book so good.
Final Rating:
I actually had no idea whether to rate it 1 STAR or 5 STARS.
I hated and loved it so much I have no idea which one should choose. There really is such a fine line between the two emotions. But the book actually ended on such a pleasant note - and damn mysterious since I am dying to know who the fuck the story teller is.
(by the way, by pleasant note, I actually don't mean HFN, HEA, or anything remotely similar. I've lowered my the standard mark for "pleasant" it seems)
So in the end I decided to play the mathematician and minus 1 STAR from 5 STARS because I damn well can't ignore my difficulties reading it.
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This was a bit difficult for me to read, to be honest.
Wow. That was such an understatement even I laughed when I reread that sentence.
As you can probably tell from my review while I was currently reading this book, I was in pieces. Shambles, actually. Apparently pitiful enough that Mr Ashling kindly messaged me to try and help me out and such (which I sincerely thank you for, by the way).
But somehow after I reached a certain point things actually became much easier and I managed to actually focus on how damn fantastic the writing and story was. I'm still debating about the characters. They kind of scare me. Makes me believe less in the good side of us, as humans. Even more than the news has ever managed to do.
And for some reason I hate Hemarchidas. I really really want to wring his neck. For no reason at all. He does nothing neck-wringing-worthy in the book. Zilch. But I still want to.
Anyway I'm going to take this liking thing even further, and say that I actually really like Anaxantis. Oh trust me, I've had a lot of mixed feelings about him. I think for the majority of the book I hated him enough to start a whole damn club about it, though I'm pretty sure that's just my mind blaming him for all the pain and shit I went through while I was reading it. But now, though I feel that he really is going too far with his treatment of Ehandar, I also don't hate him for it. I trust him to get through this and understand that Ehandar loves the fuck out of him. Well and truly does. And that rapist side of him isn't some monster that's going to come out if Anaxantis pushes him too far.
At least I hope it doesn't anyway.
In regards to my difficulty reading this book, I soon got over the nausea and about-to-cry state and just started taking things into stride.
"Okay, Anaxantis is a nutjob. Right. Got it. Let's keep going"
Right. . . That's pretty crazy Anaxantis, but okay. That's okay. You go be crazy all you want.
Yes. I did occasionally have to talk to him (myself) just to pull myself through anything Mr Ashling threw at me but it worked well.
I'm quite surprised that, after finishing this, I don't exactly feel like I need to drown myself in insta-love fluff and sexed up romances. Though I probably still will for safe measures. But I don't feel a dying need to.
Despite all the missteps and setbacks I faced whilst reading this book, it enthralled me to an extent where I could be hurting inside and still refusing to put the book down.
It really is worth the read, however painful it may be for you, especially if you're an avid fluff reader.
It will break your heart, no doubt. From horror, from pain, from the tentative hope that shit will get better-- it all adds up. But somehow that's what makes this book so good.
Final Rating:
I actually had no idea whether to rate it 1 STAR or 5 STARS.
I hated and loved it so much I have no idea which one should choose. There really is such a fine line between the two emotions. But the book actually ended on such a pleasant note - and damn mysterious since I am dying to know who the fuck the story teller is.
(by the way, by pleasant note, I actually don't mean HFN, HEA, or anything remotely similar. I've lowered my the standard mark for "pleasant" it seems)
So in the end I decided to play the mathematician and minus 1 STAR from 5 STARS because I damn well can't ignore my difficulties reading it.
October 28, 2011
This is the first book by Mr. Andrew Ashling that I have read. Several other friends / people I follow either were reading or had read one of his newer books "A Dish Served Cold" and gave it great reviews. Because I didn't dare read it first (it has some scary plot lines, to me anyway!) I decided to start with a genre I'm more familiar with, the science fiction / fantasy category. I now know this is more of a post apocalyptic novel, but for me this category still fits.
I am very happy I started here because I really loved Mr. Ashling's story. There are several interesting threads running through this first book in the Bonds of Hate series. The first one, and the one the reader gets the least number of clues about , is that of the story teller himself. Who is he, who is the man who is his audience, and what the heck is up with that stool! Many of the scenes between the two young prince / half brothers make me feel sad and lonely for them and make me angry at their despicable treatment of each other. They seem to be, in essence, two broken children unable to climb out of their predicament.
There are also at least four other significant story threads that wrap around themselves throughout the book adding complexity, character development, and continuity. The writer handles scenes of hilarity, camp, and human suffering with equal aplomb and in the end, I am left with excitement for the remaining books in this series and a new found appreciation and warmth for Mr. Ashling's writing.
Thank you, Andrew Ashling, for writing one of my new favorites!
I am very happy I started here because I really loved Mr. Ashling's story. There are several interesting threads running through this first book in the Bonds of Hate series. The first one, and the one the reader gets the least number of clues about , is that of the story teller himself. Who is he, who is the man who is his audience, and what the heck is up with that stool! Many of the scenes between the two young prince / half brothers make me feel sad and lonely for them and make me angry at their despicable treatment of each other. They seem to be, in essence, two broken children unable to climb out of their predicament.
There are also at least four other significant story threads that wrap around themselves throughout the book adding complexity, character development, and continuity. The writer handles scenes of hilarity, camp, and human suffering with equal aplomb and in the end, I am left with excitement for the remaining books in this series and a new found appreciation and warmth for Mr. Ashling's writing.
Thank you, Andrew Ashling, for writing one of my new favorites!
December 4, 2011
Wow, what can you say to do adequate justice in a review for something as masterfully crafted as this story? I’m not sure, so rather than screw it up, I’ll keep it simple!
The amount of imagination and detail that went into building a fantasy world centered on the kingdom of Ximerion and developing a plot with tons of complexity (twists and turns, subplots, etc.) as portrayed in this book just boggles my brain. The cast of characters is large, but every one of them enriches the story. Some you’d love to hate, and some you hate to love - no one is quite who they seem to be!
Expect the unexpected, pay heed to the warnings, and get ready for a dark journey alongside Anaxantis. He’ll wring all kinds of emotions out of you – pity, indignation, love, hate, and fear as well as admiration and respect. I’m definitely hooked and along for the ride. I don’t know if I look forward to, or cringe to think what the future might hold for Ehandar. The dynamic between the two of them is most unusual indeed.
If you love books with intricate plot lines that will keep you guessing, imperfect characters that grow on you and make you care despite their shortcomings, and storytelling that keeps your eyes glued to the pages, then don’t miss this one – it’s all that and so much more!!!
The amount of imagination and detail that went into building a fantasy world centered on the kingdom of Ximerion and developing a plot with tons of complexity (twists and turns, subplots, etc.) as portrayed in this book just boggles my brain. The cast of characters is large, but every one of them enriches the story. Some you’d love to hate, and some you hate to love - no one is quite who they seem to be!
Expect the unexpected, pay heed to the warnings, and get ready for a dark journey alongside Anaxantis. He’ll wring all kinds of emotions out of you – pity, indignation, love, hate, and fear as well as admiration and respect. I’m definitely hooked and along for the ride. I don’t know if I look forward to, or cringe to think what the future might hold for Ehandar. The dynamic between the two of them is most unusual indeed.
If you love books with intricate plot lines that will keep you guessing, imperfect characters that grow on you and make you care despite their shortcomings, and storytelling that keeps your eyes glued to the pages, then don’t miss this one – it’s all that and so much more!!!
July 25, 2011
Wow. Just feaking WOW. I am SO impressed! Thrilling, intense and engrossing. The plot is fantastic. I couldn't put this book down. It's a brilliant piece of storytelling. The characters all have their own very distinct voices and personalities. Even the bad guys are totally awesome!
What impressed me the most though, was how intricate and solid the plot was. The story arc is over 3 books and through all 3 books the plot is rock solid. There are multiple plot lines and they all work seamlessly together. Things aren't spelled out and spoon fed so when a plot point finally culminated, you were at least a little surprised every time. I hate being spoon-fed a plot so that I can guess how it ends 20 pages into the book. In this series, I wasn't even sure the main character would live through all 3 books!
The author is also not afraid to kill people or cause massive damage for the main characters if it's the right thing to do plot-wise. Which I applaud. It takes a certain amount of balls for an author to really put his lead characters through hell knowing that somewhere a reader who loves fluffy bunnies and rainbows is going to complain because everything didn't go perfectly for the hero.
Anyway, I'm very impressed with the quality of the books and I'm sure I'll reread them in the future.
What impressed me the most though, was how intricate and solid the plot was. The story arc is over 3 books and through all 3 books the plot is rock solid. There are multiple plot lines and they all work seamlessly together. Things aren't spelled out and spoon fed so when a plot point finally culminated, you were at least a little surprised every time. I hate being spoon-fed a plot so that I can guess how it ends 20 pages into the book. In this series, I wasn't even sure the main character would live through all 3 books!
The author is also not afraid to kill people or cause massive damage for the main characters if it's the right thing to do plot-wise. Which I applaud. It takes a certain amount of balls for an author to really put his lead characters through hell knowing that somewhere a reader who loves fluffy bunnies and rainbows is going to complain because everything didn't go perfectly for the hero.
Anyway, I'm very impressed with the quality of the books and I'm sure I'll reread them in the future.
August 28, 2011
This story blows the Tudors, and anything similar (fiction or otherwise), out of the water. The set-up in the beginning makes sense, the characters well-defined, the plot seemingly just another romanticized historical, though in an alternate universe. Then the author turns it all on its head and nothing make sense, the strong becomes weak and vice-versa, there is not one but several plots runnnig parallel and crossing at times, too.
The warnings are well deserved, though they apply to modern sensibilities. Anyone with a grasp of history knows that these things were common in the middle-ages, and much worse, too.
A three-book series, this fist installment is a masterful lesson in character and plot development by the author. I am, of course, hooked beyond redemption and have already started the 2nd book, The Invisible Chains - Part 2: Bonds of Fear.
Definitely recommended for anyone who enjoys an epic tale of kingdoms won and love lost. Not a romance and not for the faint of heart.
The warnings are well deserved, though they apply to modern sensibilities. Anyone with a grasp of history knows that these things were common in the middle-ages, and much worse, too.
A three-book series, this fist installment is a masterful lesson in character and plot development by the author. I am, of course, hooked beyond redemption and have already started the 2nd book, The Invisible Chains - Part 2: Bonds of Fear.
Definitely recommended for anyone who enjoys an epic tale of kingdoms won and love lost. Not a romance and not for the faint of heart.
January 15, 2015
Do not get put off by the problems with the first two books of this series. The writing in the first volume in particular is rough, especially the author’s reliance on lengthy, awkward first-person asides or interior monologues. Also, the (incestuous) relationship between the two MCs is dark bordering on depressing. But KEEP READING! This is a wonderful fantasy series, which gets better and better over the six volumes that have been published. The relationship between Anaxantis and Ehandar is marvelously complex, providing a profound and moving look at guilt, punishment, trust, redemption, and desire. Moreover, it works as a challenging and sophisticated commentary on the political and dynastic themes that take up much of the main plotline. I really think Ashling is doing some amazing and original things here, and it was stunning to see how much he develops as a writer over the course of the series.
Bottom Line: If you like high fantasy, this is a can’t-miss. Highly Recommend.
Bottom Line: If you like high fantasy, this is a can’t-miss. Highly Recommend.
February 15, 2014
I feel I should reveal myself to be Crisperion the Confused, confused because I actually read this story to the very end. Usually with a book this badly written I would have just chucked it. A childish simulacrum of a high fantasy plot, interminable internal dialogue done in italics, for fuck's sake, and what was with the constant introduction of bizarro character names? Enough already. Here it is for what its worth: It was a stupid book but eventually I did become invested enough in it to want find out what was going to happen between Prince Anaphylaxis and his brother, formerly known as Prince ... On that basis I can't quite give this a bleh (but it was) or a meh (that too) but instead I rate it three very reluctant stars.
July 16, 2014
Just... no.
The blurb had me looking forward to a romantic fantasy adventure story, and the setting of a post-apocolyptic distant future in which humankind has made its way to a medieval world was intriguing. The promise of a gay semi-incestuous love affair seemed just twisted enough to keep things interesting and moral boundaries murky.
Unfortunately, the book features horrific non-con bondage sadism which is told through rapidly switching POVs, and writing that over-explains everything with inner monologues and italics overkill. To be fair though, a healthy portion of the book is free on the author's website, where he says,
"I want you to be certain that these books are to your liking. Twelve chapters, sixty thousand words, should be ample to decide that. If you don’t like my style of writing, you will have discovered that long before you reach the last sample chapter. Ditto if you don’t like the story, its setting, its characters or whatever."
Well, Mr. Ashling, thank you for your foresight, because your writing style is not to my liking and I did not buy The Invisible Chains.
I suppose I have high standards, but I just can't root for relationships that are inherently skewed, where one (or both) parties have seriously injured the other, physically or psychologically. Building relationships out of traumatic beginnings is tough. Special Forces has shown me that it is possible - wonderful, even - but it just didn't happen here. DNF after 5 chapters.
The blurb had me looking forward to a romantic fantasy adventure story, and the setting of a post-apocolyptic distant future in which humankind has made its way to a medieval world was intriguing. The promise of a gay semi-incestuous love affair seemed just twisted enough to keep things interesting and moral boundaries murky.
Unfortunately, the book features horrific non-con bondage sadism which is told through rapidly switching POVs, and writing that over-explains everything with inner monologues and italics overkill. To be fair though, a healthy portion of the book is free on the author's website, where he says,
"I want you to be certain that these books are to your liking. Twelve chapters, sixty thousand words, should be ample to decide that. If you don’t like my style of writing, you will have discovered that long before you reach the last sample chapter. Ditto if you don’t like the story, its setting, its characters or whatever."
Well, Mr. Ashling, thank you for your foresight, because your writing style is not to my liking and I did not buy The Invisible Chains.
I suppose I have high standards, but I just can't root for relationships that are inherently skewed, where one (or both) parties have seriously injured the other, physically or psychologically. Building relationships out of traumatic beginnings is tough. Special Forces has shown me that it is possible - wonderful, even - but it just didn't happen here. DNF after 5 chapters.
October 5, 2011
I don't get it. Isn't there anybody else who was put off by the poor writing and abysmal editing? At least Vixenne Lady Victorienne notes that in fantasy, modern slang has no place. The story itself is fantastic, but I think I don't exaggerate when I say that on every page something annoyed me, be it the in large parts redundant inner monologue, the repetitive use of words or the change of formatting (and more).
In conclusion: Story 5, Rest 1 --> 3 stars.
In conclusion: Story 5, Rest 1 --> 3 stars.
dnf-2024
January 21, 2025DNF@27%
I actually don’t mind the writing style (it’s good except for a few word choices) and the political intrigue is interesting enough. But it feels like the story lacks direction so I will be calling it quits for now. I may come back at some point in the future.
Kindle freebie: 7.7.24
I actually don’t mind the writing style (it’s good except for a few word choices) and the political intrigue is interesting enough. But it feels like the story lacks direction so I will be calling it quits for now. I may come back at some point in the future.
Kindle freebie: 7.7.24
July 19, 2019
"Игра престолов" на минималках с блекджеком и геями.
Чтоб я в этом году еще раз бралась за многотомники? Та ни в жизнь. Убейте меня сразу.
Замечу, что этому 7-томному эпику, как выяснилось, еще далеко до конца. В теории там замут еще на пару книжек, но это уже без меня. К тому же, автор с 2014 года продой не радует, поэтому я бы на месте поклонников уже не надеялась. Но как знать...
С самого начала автор знакомит нас с псевдосредневековым миром, где есть некое огромное королевство - Ксимерион. Здесь, как по старинке, правит король, у которого 4 сына. Первый, и он же самый старший, - амбициозный, властолюбивый, коварный, уже видит себя восседающим на троне с короной наперевес. Второй - тупой жирдяй, которым манипулирует старший; третий - сильный, гордый, ни капли не умеет в стратегию, а младшенький - задохлик, на которого никто не обращает внимания. А еще он как в той песне - натуральный блондин. Да, это важно, ибо его красота у многих отождествлялась с воплощением бога Солнца - настолько неземная, что всякий раз при виде него остальные вздыхали и втихушку мечтали ему присунуть, но увы.
По классике жанра, мы наблюдаем историю становления именно этого самого блондинистого задохлика, который, как гласит история, станет самым великим, самым лучшим, самым-самым. Ну просто светоч жизни в загнивающем царстве тьмы. Я не могу сказать, что главный герой настолько крут, что все плюшки ему доставались за просто так. Но многие конфликты, которые, скажем, длились долгое время, разрешались очень простым путем: гг приходит, улыбается, где-то невидимкой всплывает +100 к харизме и остальные персонажи уже стелятся перед ним. ВТФ? Как будто сраный читер пришел в Dark Souls, накастовал какое-то магуйство, а ты не можешь просечь фишку.
Для примера: принц должен защищать северные границы королевства от нападения диких и кровожадных варваров, с которыми даже король не в силах справится. Задача: где-то найти людей для укрепления границы и возможности дать отпор. Войско маленькое, силы не равны. Пока принц зазывает в свои отряды не только простых крестьян, но еще и знать, - прибегают варвары. Принц им такой: а пойдемте ко мне в гости. Варвары: какого хрена? Мы тебя сейчас убьем. Принц, улыбаясь: ну что вы, я вас не обману, я честный. А еще я дам вам пожрать. Варвары: рили? Принц: рили. Все остальные: а чо, так тоже можно было?!
Всё. Он подружился с варварами. Profit.
Замечу, что это работает не только на варваров, которые не блещут интеллектом и не владеют хитростью.
Самое интересное, что до него, кажется, никто вообще не знал, что такое быть дипломатом. Потому что ничего сверх интеллектуального, на мой скромный взгляд, гг не делает. Зато на фоне него все остальные, конечно же, должны быть глупенькими, а у гг любой план с первого раза срабатывает и за 7 книг он ни разу не зафейлил.
Чтоб нагнать драмы, в первой книге с гг происходит переломный момент, после которого еще 4 книги он таит злобу и вынашивает план мести. Честно говоря, сама ситуация ужасная и мерзкая до невозможности, и не может не вызвать сочувствия к гг. Но как это происходит? Та_самая_гадкая_ситуация, которая стала решающей в формировании характера гг, описывается ну 2-3 странички от силы, упоминая в одном абзаце, что гг где-то 5 месяцев страдал. Но последствия от всего этого тянутся и тянутся на главы и целые тома вперед. Как он страдал можно только представить, но то, какую херню гг за это творит, заставляет забыть его собственные вскользь описанные страдания, потому что его расплата описывается с чувством и расторопностью. Аж до 5-го тома. Ты вроде и понимаешь, что чуваку жизнь попортили, но у меня не хватает эмпатии ему сопереживать, потому что автор его душевные страдания описывает постфактум, а настоящую боль испытывает другой. И вот ему-то хочется облегчить муки. Надо ли мне рассказывать, какую в итоге неприязнь вызывал у меня "бедненький" гг?
Женщины - это странный предмет: он вроде есть и его вроде нет . Серьезно, зачем они здесь? На все 7 книг можно с легкостью ставить тег #все_геи -не ошибешься.
Гг по ходу своей военной кампании встречает очень много друзей и союзников, естественно мужского пола. Одна гейская пара, вторая гейская пара, третья, четвертая, пятая... Сэр, да тут одни пидорасы! (с) И я знаю, что это гомоэротические книги и слеш меня радует больше, но неужели чисто для разнообразия нельзя было хотя бы одних левых персонажей сделать гетеро парой, раз уж вы тут женщин иногда поминаете? Что бы от этого поменялось? Меня особенно радовали такие моменты, когда появлялся очередной мужик, который вообще-то по бабам, и женские прелести его больше привлекает, но тут же сладкий мальчик и какая в попу разница? И так было всегда. Поэтому при очередном таком "не_гее" глаза закатывались к потолку и в мыслях: "ну сейчас начнется". Единственный прописанный женский персонаж - мать гг, но и та с душком.
О сюжете можно многое сказать, но я не буду вдаваться в подробности. Автор проделал огромную работу - этого не отнять. С каждой последующей книгой мир расширялся, появлялись новые сюжетные линии, политическая ситуация обострялась так же, как и любовь, которая нежданно-негаданно расцветала во время тяжелых военных действий. Задействованы очень много персонажей, про некоторых из них было читать интересней, чем про гг. Особенно мне понравилась история про плененного принца (тоже "не_гея"), которого полюбил его же господин. Их отношения были самыми милыми и трепетными, остальные парочки тоже более-менее зашли. Иногда автор лил очень много тягомотных описаний и вводил персонажей только для того, чтобы после двухстраничного описания его биографии прирезать его где-то за углом. Нахрена, спрашивается, мне было знать, что у мужика с таким-то именем двое детей, три овцы и куча долгов, если его только что порешали в конюшне за две секунды? Зачем я на это потратила 7 минут своего времени? И таких примеров много.
Лучше всего автору удавались военные действия и, как ни странно, - насилие. А последнего тут предостаточно. Лучше б она с таким же рвением любовные сцены описывала, которых недоставало, зато групповуха во все дыры с последующим отрубанием башки - это пожалуйста.
По большей части у меня остались позитивные впечатления от чтения, но они не лишены некоторой степени разочарования. Это с любовью проработанная почти до мелочей история, но автору не всегда удавалось удерживать к ней интерес. Были откровенно слабые сюжетные моменты, затянутые описания, слитые персонажи. После прочтения ощущаю усталость, будто разгрузила 20 мешков с цементом.
Для меня осталось тайной, почему автор ни в одной книге не делал глоссарий. Ладно географические названия (иногда были изображения карт), но знатные рода, другие королевства, племена, родственные связи? Сочувствую тем, кто читал онгоингом. Это ж все надо было либо удерживать в памяти, либо раз за разом перечитывать.
Средняя оценка 3-3,5. Все же далеко не низкопробный слешик, но и своих недочетов предостаточно.
Чтоб я в этом году еще раз бралась за многотомники? Та ни в жизнь. Убейте меня сразу.
Замечу, что этому 7-томному эпику, как выяснилось, еще далеко до конца. В теории там замут еще на пару книжек, но это уже без меня. К тому же, автор с 2014 года продой не радует, поэтому я бы на месте поклонников уже не надеялась. Но как знать...
С самого начала автор знакомит нас с псевдосредневековым миром, где есть некое огромное королевство - Ксимерион. Здесь, как по старинке, правит король, у которого 4 сына. Первый, и он же самый старший, - амбициозный, властолюбивый, коварный, уже видит себя восседающим на троне с короной наперевес. Второй - тупой жирдяй, которым манипулирует старший; третий - сильный, гордый, ни капли не умеет в стратегию, а младшенький - задохлик, на которого никто не обращает внимания. А еще он как в той песне - натуральный блондин. Да, это важно, ибо его красота у многих отождествлялась с воплощением бога Солнца - настолько неземная, что всякий раз при виде него остальные вздыхали и втихушку мечтали ему присунуть, но увы.
По классике жанра, мы наблюдаем историю становления именно этого самого блондинистого задохлика, который, как гласит история, станет самым великим, самым лучшим, самым-самым. Ну просто светоч жизни в загнивающем царстве тьмы. Я не могу сказать, что главный герой настолько крут, что все плюшки ему доставались за просто так. Но многие конфликты, которые, скажем, длились долгое время, разрешались очень простым путем: гг приходит, улыбается, где-то невидимкой всплывает +100 к харизме и остальные персонажи уже стелятся перед ним. ВТФ? Как будто сраный читер пришел в Dark Souls, накастовал какое-то магуйство, а ты не можешь просечь фишку.
Для примера: принц должен защищать северные границы королевства от нападения диких и кровожадных варваров, с которыми даже король не в силах справится. Задача: где-то найти людей для укрепления границы и возможности дать отпор. Войско маленькое, силы не равны. Пока принц зазывает в свои отряды не только простых крестьян, но еще и знать, - прибегают варвары. Принц им такой: а пойдемте ко мне в гости. Варвары: какого хрена? Мы тебя сейчас убьем. Принц, улыбаясь: ну что вы, я вас не обману, я честный. А еще я дам вам пожрать. Варвары: рили? Принц: рили. Все остальные: а чо, так тоже можно было?!
Всё. Он подружился с варварами. Profit.
Замечу, что это работает не только на варваров, которые не блещут интеллектом и не владеют хитростью.
Самое интересное, что до него, кажется, никто вообще не знал, что такое быть дипломатом. Потому что ничего сверх интеллектуального, на мой скромный взгляд, гг не делает. Зато на фоне него все остальные, конечно же, должны быть глупенькими, а у гг любой план с первого раза срабатывает и за 7 книг он ни разу не зафейлил.
Чтоб нагнать драмы, в первой книге с гг происходит переломный момент, после которого еще 4 книги он таит злобу и вынашивает план мести. Честно говоря, сама ситуация ужасная и мерзкая до невозможности, и не может не вызвать сочувствия к гг. Но как это происходит? Та_самая_гадкая_ситуация, которая стала решающей в формировании характера гг, описывается ну 2-3 странички от силы, упоминая в одном абзаце, что гг где-то 5 месяцев страдал. Но последствия от всего этого тянутся и тянутся на главы и целые тома вперед. Как он страдал можно только представить, но то, какую херню гг за это творит, заставляет забыть его собственные вскользь описанные страдания, потому что его расплата описывается с чувством и расторопностью. Аж до 5-го тома. Ты вроде и понимаешь, что чуваку жизнь попортили, но у меня не хватает эмпатии ему сопереживать, потому что автор его душевные страдания описывает постфактум, а настоящую боль испытывает другой. И вот ему-то хочется облегчить муки. Надо ли мне рассказывать, какую в итоге неприязнь вызывал у меня "бедненький" гг?
Женщины - это странный предмет: он вроде есть и его вроде нет . Серьезно, зачем они здесь? На все 7 книг можно с легкостью ставить тег #все_геи -не ошибешься.
Гг по ходу своей военной кампании встречает очень много друзей и союзников, естественно мужского пола. Одна гейская пара, вторая гейская пара, третья, четвертая, пятая... Сэр, да тут одни пидорасы! (с) И я знаю, что это гомоэротические книги и слеш меня радует больше, но неужели чисто для разнообразия нельзя было хотя бы одних левых персонажей сделать гетеро парой, раз уж вы тут женщин иногда поминаете? Что бы от этого поменялось? Меня особенно радовали такие моменты, когда появлялся очередной мужик, который вообще-то по бабам, и женские прелести его больше привлекает, но тут же сладкий мальчик и какая в попу разница? И так было всегда. Поэтому при очередном таком "не_гее" глаза закатывались к потолку и в мыслях: "ну сейчас начнется". Единственный прописанный женский персонаж - мать гг, но и та с душком.
О сюжете можно многое сказать, но я не буду вдаваться в подробности. Автор проделал огромную работу - этого не отнять. С каждой последующей книгой мир расширялся, появлялись новые сюжетные линии, политическая ситуация обострялась так же, как и любовь, которая нежданно-негаданно расцветала во время тяжелых военных действий. Задействованы очень много персонажей, про некоторых из них было читать интересней, чем про гг. Особенно мне понравилась история про плененного принца (тоже "не_гея"), которого полюбил его же господин. Их отношения были самыми милыми и трепетными, остальные парочки тоже более-менее зашли. Иногда автор лил очень много тягомотных описаний и вводил персонажей только для того, чтобы после двухстраничного описания его биографии прирезать его где-то за углом. Нахрена, спрашивается, мне было знать, что у мужика с таким-то именем двое детей, три овцы и куча долгов, если его только что порешали в конюшне за две секунды? Зачем я на это потратила 7 минут своего времени? И таких примеров много.
Лучше всего автору удавались военные действия и, как ни странно, - насилие. А последнего тут предостаточно. Лучше б она с таким же рвением любовные сцены описывала, которых недоставало, зато групповуха во все дыры с последующим отрубанием башки - это пожалуйста.
По большей части у меня остались позитивные впечатления от чтения, но они не лишены некоторой степени разочарования. Это с любовью проработанная почти до мелочей история, но автору не всегда удавалось удерживать к ней интерес. Были откровенно слабые сюжетные моменты, затянутые описания, слитые персонажи. После прочтения ощущаю усталость, будто разгрузила 20 мешков с цементом.
Для меня осталось тайной, почему автор ни в одной книге не делал глоссарий. Ладно географические названия (иногда были изображения карт), но знатные рода, другие королевства, племена, родственные связи? Сочувствую тем, кто читал онгоингом. Это ж все надо было либо удерживать в памяти, либо раз за разом перечитывать.
Средняя оценка 3-3,5. Все же далеко не низкопробный слешик, но и своих недочетов предостаточно.
April 10, 2017
3.5 stars
in spite of the highly annoying internal monologues and the frequent tell-not-show writing style, i'm actually quite invested in the story and the characters and plotlines are way more complex than i thought they would be. i think i'm going to check out the next book, which is something i don't often say for 4 star books let alone 3 stars
in spite of the highly annoying internal monologues and the frequent tell-not-show writing style, i'm actually quite invested in the story and the characters and plotlines are way more complex than i thought they would be. i think i'm going to check out the next book, which is something i don't often say for 4 star books let alone 3 stars
sampled-but-no
March 7, 2017Давненько мне не встречалось что-то настолько плохо написанное.
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August 18, 2011At more than 300 pages and only part 1 of a trilogy, this book is already pushing your level of comfort if you are looking for a “comfort” romance… Bonds of Hate is definitely not that. Plus it has (SPOILER) two elements that will probably push away a lot of potential readers: an incestuous relationship between two half-brothers and non-con sex, at least at the beginning.
I think the strength in this novel is the completely turn around the author did with the characters: Anaxantis and Ehandar, the two half-brothers, start with clear chosen role, Ehandar is the warrior, one year older than Anaxantis at 17 years old, strong and virile; Anaxantis instead is the intellectual, bookish and often ill. They are also different in looks, Ehandar dark and strong, Anaxantis blond and petite.
At the beginning Anaxantis is fascinated by his brother, and he also tries to imitate him, but there is really nothing to do, they are in two different leagues; then Ehandar does the unthinkable, he rapes his own brother and he initiates a chain of events that will lead to his own demise, or better to him being turned into sex-slaves for the pleasure of Anaxantis. Why, from Ehandar’s point of view that is acceptable? Since he strongly believes to be in love with his brother, and even when faced with the chance to run away, he chooses to remain faithful to his own brother. Anaxantis instead, according to me, proves to be a little temperamental…
These are not easy characters to like. I think that most of the readers will take the side for one or the other, but in the end, they will also admit that no one is really right and no one is really wrong. Ehandar with the rape that he commits at the beginning will be disliked by most romantic readers, but those same readers will have to admit that later in the novel, he seems the one with the more honest love feelings. On the other side bookish Anaxantis will have the support of those same readers, but then he will prove to have led his vengeance well over the edge, even if, again, there are some people (me probably) that believes nothing will payback for a rape. True, with the turning of Ehandar’s character, he loses all the characteristic of the rapist, he moves exactly at the opposite, becoming the sex-slave, the one who is object.
The plot is complex and for once, while this is obviously a fantasy, since there is no real setting, it’s not “magical”; true, there are potions and conspiracies, but that was pretty normal even in our real past. Yes, there is an homosexual relationship, but that is justified by the plot: it would have been probably impossible for Anaxantis to be a woman, since in that case, there would have been no chance for him to enslave Ehandar.
Truth be told, I’m not sure about my feelings towards this novel, I can recognize that is well plotted (even if fantasy is not my cup of tea), but probably I need to see how Anaxantis and Ehandar’s relationship will evolve in the following books.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004ISLQYO/?...
I think the strength in this novel is the completely turn around the author did with the characters: Anaxantis and Ehandar, the two half-brothers, start with clear chosen role, Ehandar is the warrior, one year older than Anaxantis at 17 years old, strong and virile; Anaxantis instead is the intellectual, bookish and often ill. They are also different in looks, Ehandar dark and strong, Anaxantis blond and petite.
At the beginning Anaxantis is fascinated by his brother, and he also tries to imitate him, but there is really nothing to do, they are in two different leagues; then Ehandar does the unthinkable, he rapes his own brother and he initiates a chain of events that will lead to his own demise, or better to him being turned into sex-slaves for the pleasure of Anaxantis. Why, from Ehandar’s point of view that is acceptable? Since he strongly believes to be in love with his brother, and even when faced with the chance to run away, he chooses to remain faithful to his own brother. Anaxantis instead, according to me, proves to be a little temperamental…
These are not easy characters to like. I think that most of the readers will take the side for one or the other, but in the end, they will also admit that no one is really right and no one is really wrong. Ehandar with the rape that he commits at the beginning will be disliked by most romantic readers, but those same readers will have to admit that later in the novel, he seems the one with the more honest love feelings. On the other side bookish Anaxantis will have the support of those same readers, but then he will prove to have led his vengeance well over the edge, even if, again, there are some people (me probably) that believes nothing will payback for a rape. True, with the turning of Ehandar’s character, he loses all the characteristic of the rapist, he moves exactly at the opposite, becoming the sex-slave, the one who is object.
The plot is complex and for once, while this is obviously a fantasy, since there is no real setting, it’s not “magical”; true, there are potions and conspiracies, but that was pretty normal even in our real past. Yes, there is an homosexual relationship, but that is justified by the plot: it would have been probably impossible for Anaxantis to be a woman, since in that case, there would have been no chance for him to enslave Ehandar.
Truth be told, I’m not sure about my feelings towards this novel, I can recognize that is well plotted (even if fantasy is not my cup of tea), but probably I need to see how Anaxantis and Ehandar’s relationship will evolve in the following books.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004ISLQYO/?...
May 7, 2012
What amazes me about authors who write fantasy, science fiction, paranormal - any genres where new worlds, sets of names of people, countries and such are part of it, that they have such a depth to their imagination to pull this together! I mean, authors imaginations impress me no matter what, but I would need some kind of flow chart to keep track of all the names, relations, villages and such that are part of these books!
That said, this is a great fantasy story and how it begins gives absolutely no hint to how it will end, you meet some great characters along the way and you hope to hear more about them and their story, secrets are revealed, but even more are hinted at before you get to the end. The Anaxantis you thought you knew at the beginning has been changed and it's hard to say who the real boy/man is by the time you reach the end. But it is done so well, of course you want to know more!
I was barely a third of the way through this book before I went and bought the rest of the series since Andrew was a new author for me, but I quickly realized I'd want to know the rest of the story too much not to order the rest of the books!!!
Great characters, great story with oh so many layers and possibilities, I'm already starting book two!!!
That said, this is a great fantasy story and how it begins gives absolutely no hint to how it will end, you meet some great characters along the way and you hope to hear more about them and their story, secrets are revealed, but even more are hinted at before you get to the end. The Anaxantis you thought you knew at the beginning has been changed and it's hard to say who the real boy/man is by the time you reach the end. But it is done so well, of course you want to know more!
I was barely a third of the way through this book before I went and bought the rest of the series since Andrew was a new author for me, but I quickly realized I'd want to know the rest of the story too much not to order the rest of the books!!!
Great characters, great story with oh so many layers and possibilities, I'm already starting book two!!!
November 14, 2012
Ok, I'm going to need to reread this, not because I liked it but because I spent most of my time focusing on Ehandar. There are some annoying stylistic problems but for the most part, I rather like the structure. The names are annoying as heck, I don't really care about the other characters and especially not the queen and the woman whose name reminds me of "Sarabi" all the time.
Hmm...I think I am rather intrigued. I wonder if the Wolves' Friend dude is significant in any way to what happens... and also, Anaxantis. The Randamor dude's parting statement is very thought-provoking. Puts his actions in another light.
It's actually rather good, once I got past the first-ish half. Intriguing. I can't quite get a read on Anaxantis.
11/12/12 ETA:
Yeah, I figured out why the rest of the plot annoyed me so much. It's cuz it's framed in high-fantasy-esque writing and I wasn't expecting that, so I hadn't mentally prepared for detail porn of all sorts. Maybe I'll attempt it again for Anaxantis' exploits at one time in the future. As is, I really still only care about what happens on the romance side. It's getting into that mind-screwy shit I love and find so fascinating :D
Hmm...I think I am rather intrigued. I wonder if the Wolves' Friend dude is significant in any way to what happens... and also, Anaxantis. The Randamor dude's parting statement is very thought-provoking. Puts his actions in another light.
It's actually rather good, once I got past the first-ish half. Intriguing. I can't quite get a read on Anaxantis.
11/12/12 ETA:
Yeah, I figured out why the rest of the plot annoyed me so much. It's cuz it's framed in high-fantasy-esque writing and I wasn't expecting that, so I hadn't mentally prepared for detail porn of all sorts. Maybe I'll attempt it again for Anaxantis' exploits at one time in the future. As is, I really still only care about what happens on the romance side. It's getting into that mind-screwy shit I love and find so fascinating :D
November 5, 2011
Read this in one go. Exceptional plot, EXCELLENT characterisation, and enough intrigue to have you grinning all the way home. This is a novel-length book about the drama between between political forces but also between people, each with their own hopes and desires and motivations. The author has done a great job of keeping several plot lines very coherent and fleshing characters into being. He manages to keep things interesting enough to challenge you without allowing the book to degenerate into a thousand little directions at once. It's a meaty book, but it's also fairly concise - you won't find pages and pages of description about minutiae or other useless things that you need to skim. You'll find yourself reading every word. High recommended.
November 4, 2011
I didn't expect to get as involved with this book as I did, but I was completely captivated by the characters the author created, the world they inhabit, and the story they tell. I feel as though I have been on a great adventure with some really fascinating people and I can't wait to get back to it with the next book. That's always a sure sign of how much I enjoyed a book. I hate to say it, but the author really should be charging more for it. It's worth a lot more to me than I paid for it.
October 29, 2011
This book will hook you immediately. Action, intrigue, sex, medieval background, fantasy, ... Nothing moves slowly and the multi-layered plot keeps the reader on his/her toes, alert and reading, even into the wee hours of the night. Excellent book. First of a trilogy.
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