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Dark Tales of Randamor the Recluse #2
The Invisible Chains - Part 2: Bonds of Fear
Is the strain becoming too much?
The threat of a barbarian invasion is imminent now, and the resources to organize the defense meager, to say the least. Moreover, the high king, father of the princes, begins to worry that one of his intrepid sons might do irreparable damage to the kingdom by provoking a force, greater than they can handle. Then there is the tortured relationship between Anaxantis and Ehandar...
Luckily for him, queen Emelasuntha, his mother, has Anaxantis's back. But will it be enough?
A lot of new characters, each with their own story, appear on the stage. Young pages, some cute, some haughty and arrogant, a mysterious, barbarian prince and a ruthless baron are just a few of them.
Between all the turmoil of a country in upheaval, there is still room for love, tenderness, and laughter.
You can read sample chapters online here.
The threat of a barbarian invasion is imminent now, and the resources to organize the defense meager, to say the least. Moreover, the high king, father of the princes, begins to worry that one of his intrepid sons might do irreparable damage to the kingdom by provoking a force, greater than they can handle. Then there is the tortured relationship between Anaxantis and Ehandar...
Luckily for him, queen Emelasuntha, his mother, has Anaxantis's back. But will it be enough?
A lot of new characters, each with their own story, appear on the stage. Young pages, some cute, some haughty and arrogant, a mysterious, barbarian prince and a ruthless baron are just a few of them.
Between all the turmoil of a country in upheaval, there is still room for love, tenderness, and laughter.
You can read sample chapters online here.
518 pages, ebook
First published May 15, 2011
10 people are currently reading
197 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 .
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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 36 reviews
December 16, 2013
So what happens in this second installment? Basically, everyone is even more badass and bloodthirsty and awesome. And the most amazing thing is that all this badassery and bloodthirstiness ring true, because we're in a pseudo-medieval world where if you don't shed blood, your blood is going to be shed. At this point, killing people seems like a perfectly logical course of action.
The first book in the series was my first experience reading non-con; this one was my first torture scene. Both went pretty smoothly, I'd say. Well, I'm not dead or in tears, and that must count for something. (tbh, I wasn't really affected by either, but that's all me; technically, those scenes are both pretty impactful.)
In this novel, a whole new cast of characters is introduced, each of them with their own set of issues, romantic woes, loyalties and ties to other characters.
Even though they are secondary characters, and their adventures don't necessarily advance the main storyline, I couldn't help but get as invested in their stories as I was in those of the main characters.
I still have a small problem with the writing - it's not that it's bad, it's just not... beautiful. Its occasional clumsiness, however, is counterbalanced by the ability to spin stories and picture personalities, like Jerruth's, that literally squeezed my heart to a pulp.
I feel the need, though, to point out to Andrew Ashling that "it's" does not mean what he thinks it means.
The main problem I had with this book is that for most of the novel Anaxantis seems to completely forget about Ehandar/Tarno.
He is shown as perfect - strong, beautiful, ruthless and at the same time kind hearted; the author however chose one issue to gift him with, which is his love/obsession for his brother, and that is the only thing that could make him human in the reader's eyes. The problem, basically, is that Anaxantis, other than sometimes talking to Hemarchidas about his inner conflict, seems to be way more interested in the coming war than he is in Ehandar. It's understandable, but not completely; if his love for him were so great, I believe he would think about him more than he seems to do.
Don't mistake this series for a romance; this is, first of all, a fantasy, with secondary romantic storylines - yes, plural.
It has some flaws and it might not be perfect, but it's still fucking awesome. Read it.
---
Random tidbit of information: the god Zardok has five pustulent nipples and seven swollen balls. Er... original mythology. Seriously, though, there's a Mother Goddess or something like that, and then a whole array of minor goddesses with a sort of specialisation, and the Mother Goddess' priestesses claim that those minor goddesses are just a manifestation of a particular side of the Mother Goddess. The whole thing is pretty interesting.
The first book in the series was my first experience reading non-con; this one was my first torture scene. Both went pretty smoothly, I'd say. Well, I'm not dead or in tears, and that must count for something. (tbh, I wasn't really affected by either, but that's all me; technically, those scenes are both pretty impactful.)
In this novel, a whole new cast of characters is introduced, each of them with their own set of issues, romantic woes, loyalties and ties to other characters.
Even though they are secondary characters, and their adventures don't necessarily advance the main storyline, I couldn't help but get as invested in their stories as I was in those of the main characters.
I still have a small problem with the writing - it's not that it's bad, it's just not... beautiful. Its occasional clumsiness, however, is counterbalanced by the ability to spin stories and picture personalities, like Jerruth's, that literally squeezed my heart to a pulp.
I feel the need, though, to point out to Andrew Ashling that "it's" does not mean what he thinks it means.
The main problem I had with this book is that for most of the novel Anaxantis seems to completely forget about Ehandar/Tarno.
He is shown as perfect - strong, beautiful, ruthless and at the same time kind hearted; the author however chose one issue to gift him with, which is his love/obsession for his brother, and that is the only thing that could make him human in the reader's eyes. The problem, basically, is that Anaxantis, other than sometimes talking to Hemarchidas about his inner conflict, seems to be way more interested in the coming war than he is in Ehandar. It's understandable, but not completely; if his love for him were so great, I believe he would think about him more than he seems to do.
Don't mistake this series for a romance; this is, first of all, a fantasy, with secondary romantic storylines - yes, plural.
It has some flaws and it might not be perfect, but it's still fucking awesome. Read it.
---
Random tidbit of information: the god Zardok has five pustulent nipples and seven swollen balls. Er... original mythology. Seriously, though, there's a Mother Goddess or something like that, and then a whole array of minor goddesses with a sort of specialisation, and the Mother Goddess' priestesses claim that those minor goddesses are just a manifestation of a particular side of the Mother Goddess. The whole thing is pretty interesting.
August 31, 2011
If part 1 of this series had me hooked, part 2 possessed me. Yep, I'm off the deep end. Every character is developed further, the plots all get more complicated yet you know exactly what is happening with each twist, just not where it's all going to lead. New characters, which must be central to the unravelling of the story, are introduced. Like another reviewer said, just meeting Ryhunzo is worth reading the book. What a jewel of a character. Every single time he talks, I end up laughing until I cry. Him and Rahendo are just too precious for words.
Of course, I'm already into part 3, The Invisible Chains - Part 3: Bonds of Blood, and cannot wait to see what the !@##$% Anaxantis is going to do with Ehandar/Tarno. Of course, I also want to know what is going to happen with all the other stuff, but this last is really making me lose sleep. Which NEVER happens!
I think I'll be in withdrawal when I finish this series...will need some 'recovery' time.
Of course, I'm already into part 3, The Invisible Chains - Part 3: Bonds of Blood, and cannot wait to see what the !@##$% Anaxantis is going to do with Ehandar/Tarno. Of course, I also want to know what is going to happen with all the other stuff, but this last is really making me lose sleep. Which NEVER happens!
I think I'll be in withdrawal when I finish this series...will need some 'recovery' time.
September 19, 2012
4.5 stars
This, the second book of the Invisible Chains trilogy, is a dark traditional fantasy novel that has an M/M romance theme underlying it. There is violence, rape, incest (hinted at in this book, but was very much in evidence in the first book), political intrigue, family betrayals and backstabbing royals, all set amidst a kingdom at war with neighboring nations.
It is an intricate tale that revolves around Anaxantis, the fourth son of the reigning King, and the only son of the current Queen. It is a story that is told in both first and third person POV, as well as from multiple characters. Everything says that this shouldn't work, yet it does, and surprisingly well.
In the first book, Anaxantis, along with his older half-brother, was sent by his father to wrest control of the northern border, where rumblings of an invasion from the neighboring kingdom were growing louder. In the meantime, the King, along with his two oldest sons, are overseeing the war that has erupted in the south. When they arrived in the north, the brothers realized that their father was setting a test for them, a test that was guaranteed to fail. Through various harsh trials, Anaxantis, emerges as the sole Northern Governor and begins to take charge of the north.
Here in the second book, we start to see more of the King's plans, and what truly lies beneath them, while Anaxantis fights to prove his father wrong, as well as for his country's survival. He continues to grow in strength, but his internal battles also grow, and at times, he struggles with the burden of it all, as well as the cost of his decisions.
The supporting characters are fully fleshed out, and while some provide some much-needed comic relief (a couple of the Prince's pages in particular), many are almost as central to the story as Anaxantis, resulting in a rich tapestry of personalities, and highly complicated plot.
If you like traditional fantasy, and can handle some graphic violence, then this is a story well worth considering. I was fortunate enough to win this novel, as well as the first in the trilogy, but I'm now off to buy the third book, as I can't wait to read what happens.
This, the second book of the Invisible Chains trilogy, is a dark traditional fantasy novel that has an M/M romance theme underlying it. There is violence, rape, incest (hinted at in this book, but was very much in evidence in the first book), political intrigue, family betrayals and backstabbing royals, all set amidst a kingdom at war with neighboring nations.
It is an intricate tale that revolves around Anaxantis, the fourth son of the reigning King, and the only son of the current Queen. It is a story that is told in both first and third person POV, as well as from multiple characters. Everything says that this shouldn't work, yet it does, and surprisingly well.
In the first book, Anaxantis, along with his older half-brother, was sent by his father to wrest control of the northern border, where rumblings of an invasion from the neighboring kingdom were growing louder. In the meantime, the King, along with his two oldest sons, are overseeing the war that has erupted in the south. When they arrived in the north, the brothers realized that their father was setting a test for them, a test that was guaranteed to fail. Through various harsh trials, Anaxantis, emerges as the sole Northern Governor and begins to take charge of the north.
Here in the second book, we start to see more of the King's plans, and what truly lies beneath them, while Anaxantis fights to prove his father wrong, as well as for his country's survival. He continues to grow in strength, but his internal battles also grow, and at times, he struggles with the burden of it all, as well as the cost of his decisions.
The supporting characters are fully fleshed out, and while some provide some much-needed comic relief (a couple of the Prince's pages in particular), many are almost as central to the story as Anaxantis, resulting in a rich tapestry of personalities, and highly complicated plot.
If you like traditional fantasy, and can handle some graphic violence, then this is a story well worth considering. I was fortunate enough to win this novel, as well as the first in the trilogy, but I'm now off to buy the third book, as I can't wait to read what happens.
July 25, 2011
So in my review for book 1, I gushed over the plot, how intricate, solid and engrossing it was.
Let's talk about the writing in the review for this book.
(Oh, first I want to mention that I think this is the book where Ryhunzo is introduced? Love him SO much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Read the books, you'll see why.) ;-)
Anyway, the writing. The author must have done a lot of historical research because there's a wealth of detail in the books from the type of architecture found in a medieval society to the type of clothes and armor they'd wear. The world building is also very impressive. Each city, country and region has a detailed and intricate history that's referenced as part of the plot.
The politicking and scheming is totally engrossing and totally believable. I'm just so impressed with how the author juggles this many main and secondary characters. They all have their place and function and they all work beautifully in their context.
Really, so impressed with this series. This is a must read.
Let's talk about the writing in the review for this book.
(Oh, first I want to mention that I think this is the book where Ryhunzo is introduced? Love him SO much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Read the books, you'll see why.) ;-)
Anyway, the writing. The author must have done a lot of historical research because there's a wealth of detail in the books from the type of architecture found in a medieval society to the type of clothes and armor they'd wear. The world building is also very impressive. Each city, country and region has a detailed and intricate history that's referenced as part of the plot.
The politicking and scheming is totally engrossing and totally believable. I'm just so impressed with how the author juggles this many main and secondary characters. They all have their place and function and they all work beautifully in their context.
Really, so impressed with this series. This is a must read.
May 3, 2012
Plot 5/5
Characters 4/5
Writing 2/5
Editing 1.5/5
Oh for someone to keep a tight rein on Andrew Ashling and avoid sentences like;
"Really?" Loduvant of Brynmark said, arching his eyebrows. "That still works?"
"Of course," Lorcko of Iramid replied casually.
And at the same time this is someone who can write
Characters 4/5
Writing 2/5
Editing 1.5/5
Oh for someone to keep a tight rein on Andrew Ashling and avoid sentences like;
"Really?" Loduvant of Brynmark said, arching his eyebrows. "That still works?"
"Of course," Lorcko of Iramid replied casually.
And at the same time this is someone who can write
October 29, 2011
Such a lot of plots and the action starts immediately... and I quickly got lost in the fast pace of the book! I knew I was going to lose sleep nights as I'd be staying up late reading. This is a hard book to put down. I almost felt I might miss something while I slept!
Readers of fantasy books are going to love this story! It is a fantasy tale, predominantly! A morality tale even.
Ashling creates a believable world as rich as that of the great fantasy authors. It's easy to see his world's complexity favorably compared to the likes of Mercedes Lackey, etc. It's a long book and there's a lot of explicit m/m sexual content, including a rape.
I never lost sympathy with the two main characters. I felt so sorry for them that they couldn't really talk to one another. The "chains" were binding each of them in a continuing tragedy. They seemed unable to reach out to one another to overcome the downward spiral. The actions were hard to "watch" at times and set in a strange setting but the characters are very believable.
The story is the carefully crafted product of a really competent storyteller, an excellent writer. The characters change and grow. There are some really good comedic characters, some really good "laugh out loud" parts. What fun!
At the end, I'm sure glad this one is only the second of three books. I really want Anaxantis and Ehander to ... oops, guess I shouldn't say that yet, huh?
Amazingly, now that I'm finished with the book, I've gone back to read certain parts over again and again. Strange to think you could get more from the story, the characters, the writing, than you thought at first. Interesting in itself!
Readers of fantasy books are going to love this story! It is a fantasy tale, predominantly! A morality tale even.
Ashling creates a believable world as rich as that of the great fantasy authors. It's easy to see his world's complexity favorably compared to the likes of Mercedes Lackey, etc. It's a long book and there's a lot of explicit m/m sexual content, including a rape.
I never lost sympathy with the two main characters. I felt so sorry for them that they couldn't really talk to one another. The "chains" were binding each of them in a continuing tragedy. They seemed unable to reach out to one another to overcome the downward spiral. The actions were hard to "watch" at times and set in a strange setting but the characters are very believable.
The story is the carefully crafted product of a really competent storyteller, an excellent writer. The characters change and grow. There are some really good comedic characters, some really good "laugh out loud" parts. What fun!
At the end, I'm sure glad this one is only the second of three books. I really want Anaxantis and Ehander to ... oops, guess I shouldn't say that yet, huh?
Amazingly, now that I'm finished with the book, I've gone back to read certain parts over again and again. Strange to think you could get more from the story, the characters, the writing, than you thought at first. Interesting in itself!
June 24, 2013
The second installment of this stunning series brings with it a story as compelling and fast paced as the first. A usual, the political intrigue and high fantasy-esque atmosphere is fascinating and frankly, makes the book near impossible to put down. It's difficult to describe and talk about a book such as this. Though it graces my 'gritty' shelf, there are a many chapters of relieving humor that helped me get through this book when times got tough.
Mr. Ashling is astoundingly adept at making tangible and very realistic characters that are never quite 100% likeable or perfect but still somehow worm their way into your heart. Or at least, they did with mine. I hated as much as admired Anaxantis's mother, for whom there is no length she will not cross to aid him. She is probably one of the best characters yet. And Jerruth damn near broke my fucking heart.
Aside from making a plethora of stunningly ruthless characters, I think I may have found one of my all time favourite couples in the ever quirky and weird Rhyunzo and Rahendo. I think I spent the majority of their scenes just laughing and crying because I have honestly never come across a weirder couple. I really do think there's something wrong with both of them.
"Oh, Pookie, couldn't we just forgo the horrible wounds, and the blood, and the dying and stuff?"
"Alas, Eternal Spring of my Desire, no, but that is why we should make love as often and as long as we can while we still have the opportunity. Fiery, hot, animal love. You like it, when I make rough doggy love to you in that special manner in that special place, don't you, Gilding of my Existence?"
He tickled the boy on his lap.
"Oh Pookie, don't. We're not alone," Rahendo giggled.
As I said, one of my all time favourite couples.
Anyway, aside from the fabulous characters and nail-biting plot, there were a few typos my copy, however I didn't mind too much. And I don't mind the italicised parts anymore either, though there were a few parts where I was confused as to why there was an un italicised paragraph in the midst of a sea of italics.
The romance itself between Anaxantis and Ehandar (though I hesitate greatly to even call it romance) is as hopelessly hopeful as ever, and I continue to root for them with all of my shredded heart. Thankfully, I didn't have as much trouble reading this book as the first, and it was easy for me to engage myself in fantastic writing, complex plot and just a great book in a whole.
I would recommend you to try this series at least, and perhaps my GR friends who like to stroll on the dark side of M/M rather than the light would appreciate this.
Rating: 4.5 (easily rounded up)
Mr. Ashling is astoundingly adept at making tangible and very realistic characters that are never quite 100% likeable or perfect but still somehow worm their way into your heart. Or at least, they did with mine. I hated as much as admired Anaxantis's mother, for whom there is no length she will not cross to aid him. She is probably one of the best characters yet. And Jerruth damn near broke my fucking heart.
Aside from making a plethora of stunningly ruthless characters, I think I may have found one of my all time favourite couples in the ever quirky and weird Rhyunzo and Rahendo. I think I spent the majority of their scenes just laughing and crying because I have honestly never come across a weirder couple. I really do think there's something wrong with both of them.
"Oh, Pookie, couldn't we just forgo the horrible wounds, and the blood, and the dying and stuff?"
"Alas, Eternal Spring of my Desire, no, but that is why we should make love as often and as long as we can while we still have the opportunity. Fiery, hot, animal love. You like it, when I make rough doggy love to you in that special manner in that special place, don't you, Gilding of my Existence?"
He tickled the boy on his lap.
"Oh Pookie, don't. We're not alone," Rahendo giggled.
As I said, one of my all time favourite couples.
Anyway, aside from the fabulous characters and nail-biting plot, there were a few typos my copy, however I didn't mind too much. And I don't mind the italicised parts anymore either, though there were a few parts where I was confused as to why there was an un italicised paragraph in the midst of a sea of italics.
The romance itself between Anaxantis and Ehandar (though I hesitate greatly to even call it romance) is as hopelessly hopeful as ever, and I continue to root for them with all of my shredded heart. Thankfully, I didn't have as much trouble reading this book as the first, and it was easy for me to engage myself in fantastic writing, complex plot and just a great book in a whole.
I would recommend you to try this series at least, and perhaps my GR friends who like to stroll on the dark side of M/M rather than the light would appreciate this.
Rating: 4.5 (easily rounded up)
August 11, 2011
LOVED this book. I will read anything by this author!
April 5, 2012
You definitely need to pay attention, people! This second book of the series requires rapt attention in order to follow the intricate plot and subtleties woven into the story. Trust me, the rapt attention part shouldn’t be a problem because the writing is amazing, and you can’t help but submit to all the temptations that carry you away as you read this one.
I love trying to piece together a puzzle and it often felt like that’s what I was doing in trying to figure out where the story would go for each of the key sets of characters involved. Additionally, the characters themselves are richly created with their own personalities and quirks and you feel like you get to know each of them intimately.
There’s a little bit of everything in the continuum between dark and humorous in this tale. I’ll remember Jerruth and Ryhunzo for very different reasons. I’m also no closer to a final answer (or even venture to speculate) on the potential outcome of Anaxantis and Ehandar’s unusual situation.
I’m hooked and so very much looking forward to some answers to my questions in the final installment of this fascinating series!!!
I love trying to piece together a puzzle and it often felt like that’s what I was doing in trying to figure out where the story would go for each of the key sets of characters involved. Additionally, the characters themselves are richly created with their own personalities and quirks and you feel like you get to know each of them intimately.
There’s a little bit of everything in the continuum between dark and humorous in this tale. I’ll remember Jerruth and Ryhunzo for very different reasons. I’m also no closer to a final answer (or even venture to speculate) on the potential outcome of Anaxantis and Ehandar’s unusual situation.
I’m hooked and so very much looking forward to some answers to my questions in the final installment of this fascinating series!!!
May 14, 2012
Wow, I thought the first book was good for the layers to the story, this one had so many characters and storylines brought in and amazingly, I did not find that it cluttered or derailed the main story, it really did add to it because you develop an attachment to each of these characters - which could be detrimental because in books like this, that means you could lose that character because they have become important to you. My hope is that the character and development of the multiple stories is simply laying the groundwork for a continuation of the series, or reasons why when loyalty is tested, you'll understand why each character makes their choices.
The Ehandar/Tarno character is an interesting mix and I understand why Anaxantis wonders if the other version of his brother is gone, while some of the scenes can be challenging to read because you want to have compassion for this character, when Anaxantis explains why he does what he does, your compassion then goes to both characters. I have experienced a situation with a relative who played emotions, vulnerabilities and when I thought they had changed, I was played again, which does leave you with a large shadow of doubt of your place in this world and relationships in general - not to the physical extreme as in this series, but the emotional and mental games, oh yeah, I know exactly where Anaxantis is coming from!
What was particularly interesting in this book was the sidebars of humour, usually courtesy of the pages (thank you Andrew, for focusing on the two head pages and their small group and not the bullies - very much appreciated!), their logic is for the young, which is still funny, they have their deep and serious moments, vulnerable ones and as a result, three for sure have me wrapped around their fingers, haven't quite made up my mind about Ryhunzo though, although he is quite the character!! If he is for real, he makes Rahendo very happy and I'm okay with that so long as he does not end up hurting him!!! We'll have to see how the character develops, if he gets much of a storyline in the next book since that sounds like Anaxantis will be facing himself in that one!
At the same time, the story of Lorcko has been quite interesting and I hope that will get a chance to be further explored too. Not to mention can their be a happy future for Arranulf? I'm pretty sure we know what's happening in Obyann's future....
Then there is a Mukthar prince and his friends, which has so many parallels/similarities to Anaxantis and his friends. The one scene suggested that they want an alliance with Anaxantis, why now, and if they do, what the hell happened 14 years before to have resulted in such a slaughter on the Ximerion side of the borders? Were both sides misled by Damydas and his Mukthar contact? Could they have been allies all this time rather than believing they were enemies?!?
This one was rather intense for me so I am going to take a bit of a break this week, read a few short stories I had on preorder, then I will return to Ximerion to find out what is in store for the Lord Governor and his trusted friends, pages guests, brother and armies in the next book.
Amazing series, characters, the cultures, the layers, and it all reads in such a believable fashion, you forget it is a fantasy book rather than a historical fantasy book!
The Ehandar/Tarno character is an interesting mix and I understand why Anaxantis wonders if the other version of his brother is gone, while some of the scenes can be challenging to read because you want to have compassion for this character, when Anaxantis explains why he does what he does, your compassion then goes to both characters. I have experienced a situation with a relative who played emotions, vulnerabilities and when I thought they had changed, I was played again, which does leave you with a large shadow of doubt of your place in this world and relationships in general - not to the physical extreme as in this series, but the emotional and mental games, oh yeah, I know exactly where Anaxantis is coming from!
What was particularly interesting in this book was the sidebars of humour, usually courtesy of the pages (thank you Andrew, for focusing on the two head pages and their small group and not the bullies - very much appreciated!), their logic is for the young, which is still funny, they have their deep and serious moments, vulnerable ones and as a result, three for sure have me wrapped around their fingers, haven't quite made up my mind about Ryhunzo though, although he is quite the character!! If he is for real, he makes Rahendo very happy and I'm okay with that so long as he does not end up hurting him!!! We'll have to see how the character develops, if he gets much of a storyline in the next book since that sounds like Anaxantis will be facing himself in that one!
At the same time, the story of Lorcko has been quite interesting and I hope that will get a chance to be further explored too. Not to mention can their be a happy future for Arranulf? I'm pretty sure we know what's happening in Obyann's future....
Then there is a Mukthar prince and his friends, which has so many parallels/similarities to Anaxantis and his friends. The one scene suggested that they want an alliance with Anaxantis, why now, and if they do, what the hell happened 14 years before to have resulted in such a slaughter on the Ximerion side of the borders? Were both sides misled by Damydas and his Mukthar contact? Could they have been allies all this time rather than believing they were enemies?!?
This one was rather intense for me so I am going to take a bit of a break this week, read a few short stories I had on preorder, then I will return to Ximerion to find out what is in store for the Lord Governor and his trusted friends, pages guests, brother and armies in the next book.
Amazing series, characters, the cultures, the layers, and it all reads in such a believable fashion, you forget it is a fantasy book rather than a historical fantasy book!
March 3, 2019
I had the good fortune of reading this story twice when it was still fully available online. I knew without a doubt that I would get the books as soon as they came out. Reading this again I found myself falling a little deeper and loving this story even more, still one of my unwavering top favorites.
The plot thickens in Part 2. We delve deeper into the relationship between Anaxantis and Ehandar, always a source of tension there. We see more of the characters we have come to know, love and hate and are introduced to new characters important to the story. There are further preparations against invasion to be made and more hidden agendas and threats to deal with, all easy to follow considering all that goes on.
It is virtually impossible not to be swept away and become emotionally invested by the story and its characters. It still amazes me how engrossed I became by family drama, political intrigue and military strategy. How I would end up crying tears of laughter, rage and sadness a couple of times even within the same chapter. Always gripping in one form or another, never a dull or boring moment.
Whatever warnings there were for Part 1 still apply here. Although very nicely balanced out, there are moments that are downright difficult and will rip your heart out. If you haven't read Part 1, I hope you will give it a try and see if it's for you. Chances are if you enjoy it, you will love all parts of the story.
The plot thickens in Part 2. We delve deeper into the relationship between Anaxantis and Ehandar, always a source of tension there. We see more of the characters we have come to know, love and hate and are introduced to new characters important to the story. There are further preparations against invasion to be made and more hidden agendas and threats to deal with, all easy to follow considering all that goes on.
It is virtually impossible not to be swept away and become emotionally invested by the story and its characters. It still amazes me how engrossed I became by family drama, political intrigue and military strategy. How I would end up crying tears of laughter, rage and sadness a couple of times even within the same chapter. Always gripping in one form or another, never a dull or boring moment.
Whatever warnings there were for Part 1 still apply here. Although very nicely balanced out, there are moments that are downright difficult and will rip your heart out. If you haven't read Part 1, I hope you will give it a try and see if it's for you. Chances are if you enjoy it, you will love all parts of the story.
September 15, 2011
Just like Part I, Bonds of Fear suffered from that same huge problem of modern speech manifesting itself within a fantasy milieu. Even though I finished it, and for the most part enjoyed the darker turn, it's just that constant jarring of modern phrasing that ruins what is otherwise a well-conceived fantasy. Something about a fantasy character saying "my bad" just doesn't work.
I loved Anaxantis' mother and aunt who here, in spite of not being as young, are shown as more than capable of handling a sword. In fact, I think I'm far more terrified of Emalasuntha than I am of her youngest son, LOL. Ruthless doesn't even describe this she-wolf who is willing to do whatever it takes to protect her child. And Sobrathi is no slouch either. In fact, it seems the female characters are far more compelling than the male ones.
Of course, the problem of Anaxanthis' elder brother/lover still rears its ugly head and one can't help but wonder just what his fate will eventually be. In spite of the shortcomings, I have invested quite a bit of time into this series so I plan to read Part 3 to see it all through.
I loved Anaxantis' mother and aunt who here, in spite of not being as young, are shown as more than capable of handling a sword. In fact, I think I'm far more terrified of Emalasuntha than I am of her youngest son, LOL. Ruthless doesn't even describe this she-wolf who is willing to do whatever it takes to protect her child. And Sobrathi is no slouch either. In fact, it seems the female characters are far more compelling than the male ones.
Of course, the problem of Anaxanthis' elder brother/lover still rears its ugly head and one can't help but wonder just what his fate will eventually be. In spite of the shortcomings, I have invested quite a bit of time into this series so I plan to read Part 3 to see it all through.
February 25, 2012
The momentum continues to build with Mr. Ashling's second book in "The Invisible Chains" series. Anaxantis and his friends seem to hit their stride, but there are many elements working either directly against them or, oddly, in some sort of ill conceived conjunction. One of the true advantages about a series is that I, as the reader, get to learn and understand so much more about the characters because of their extended development. In this complex story of Royalty, family, impending war, and friendship, there are ample opportunities. Strongly in the readers favor, in my opinion, is that Andrew is very good at character development and proves in this story that he can envision a wide array of personalities. My personal favorites are the noble Pages at this point in the story because they are all so full of youth, vibrancy, energy, lust, and love. Anaxantis' relationship with his older brother continues to provide me with the most angst and I fear for the destinies of both of them. All said, I can't wait to begin book three in this series!
March 5, 2013
I tried. I really want to know what happens at the end of this series but there are too many characters too keep track of and side stories. I did make it to the end of the book but couldn't end finish the first chapter of the next book.
April 13, 2012
I wont even read that book - I just jumped to the end of the story and its still sex between brothers even if they are half brothers. SICK
July 23, 2011
I didn't get the chance to review this one because I could not wait to start with book #3!
May 9, 2018
Wow!
I said in my review of the first book, I love dark, twisted, stories; I like exploring the grey area, between right and wrong, because the most interesting characters live in that area. I don't want to give away too much, but another thing I like about this series are the female characters - The ladies in this story are brilliant, strong - willed, cunning, vicious, and capable of killing a man in battle or outside of battle, if the poor fool crosses her.
I said in my review of the first book, I love dark, twisted, stories; I like exploring the grey area, between right and wrong, because the most interesting characters live in that area. I don't want to give away too much, but another thing I like about this series are the female characters - The ladies in this story are brilliant, strong - willed, cunning, vicious, and capable of killing a man in battle or outside of battle, if the poor fool crosses her.
March 6, 2022
"Engorger of my manhood" --- from the all-too-cute love of two pages, to the heroic sacrifice of Jerruth, this volume touched me intimately and thoroughly!
March 12, 2023
I enjoyed this book, but the proportion of Anaxantis to page antics and Emelasuntha was lower than I would have liked. And I don't really care about Rullio of Brenx lols.
December 7, 2015
This book was a slow one at least in the beginning because by the end my heart was thundering along with the pace of the book. And this had the worst not-cliff hanger, cliff hanger ending ever.
I blame the slow pace on Lorcko of Iramid who goes through many personal developments, which I am sure tie into the story later but for now I just wasn’t that interested in him and worse he was taking
all the pages away from the members of the House of Tanakhos who I really wanted to read about. But soon his story resolved and boy the way things started boiling up, literally...
Anyhow they are three new characters introduced in this book who have a substantial number of pages devoted to them, they are obviously many new characters but I am only going to talk about the ones we got to share considerable head space with. One was Lorcko, the other Rullio and a third Jerruth.
Jerruth has the most interesting story line of them whole, extremely spoiler-ish stuff but oh my god so god damn interesting. And Rullio he won my heart. any friend of Ehander’s is a friend of mine and guess what he was actually mentioned in the first book and in a way we already knew him but yeah I didn’t realize that important fact for a long time. So here’s a heads up.
Anaxantis and Ehander are still my favourites and would it kill the author to give us more story on those two... Ah! Well I guess there are five more books, so no worries.
This story was really nice but in a way it was like the calm before the storm, because it also officially seems like there are lots of things coming. In a way this book is like a bridge to the chorus but it is no less interesting for the same. Even though I missed Gorth and the randy storyteller, I am guessing he is called Randamor what with the series name and all but till he doesn’t reveal it himself I will play along!!! But we got liberal doses of contents on all the others but still I can’t wait to start reading the next one.
I blame the slow pace on Lorcko of Iramid who goes through many personal developments, which I am sure tie into the story later but for now I just wasn’t that interested in him and worse he was taking
all the pages away from the members of the House of Tanakhos who I really wanted to read about. But soon his story resolved and boy the way things started boiling up, literally...
Anyhow they are three new characters introduced in this book who have a substantial number of pages devoted to them, they are obviously many new characters but I am only going to talk about the ones we got to share considerable head space with. One was Lorcko, the other Rullio and a third Jerruth.
Jerruth has the most interesting story line of them whole, extremely spoiler-ish stuff but oh my god so god damn interesting. And Rullio he won my heart. any friend of Ehander’s is a friend of mine and guess what he was actually mentioned in the first book and in a way we already knew him but yeah I didn’t realize that important fact for a long time. So here’s a heads up.
Anaxantis and Ehander are still my favourites and would it kill the author to give us more story on those two... Ah! Well I guess there are five more books, so no worries.
This story was really nice but in a way it was like the calm before the storm, because it also officially seems like there are lots of things coming. In a way this book is like a bridge to the chorus but it is no less interesting for the same. Even though I missed Gorth and the randy storyteller, I am guessing he is called Randamor what with the series name and all but till he doesn’t reveal it himself I will play along!!! But we got liberal doses of contents on all the others but still I can’t wait to start reading the next one.
April 2, 2015
I enjoyed this book for the most part. The plotting was pretty good and that was what kept me reading. I really think the author should not have had his characters speak in such modern language. Maybe the author meant to do this in order to give the story a more light hearted mood? I'm not sure why the author chose to do this, but it didn't add anything good to the story. Also the author seems to spend time on characters that don't seem to be adding anything to the story thus far. I am particularly speaking about the 3 or 4 pages that were first introduced in the first book of the series. And once again, there are so many instances in this book where incorrect words and poor grammar are used. I think it takes away from the enjoyment of the story. I can't help but wonder if the author's first language is English. Anyway, he really needs to find a better editor than he is using for the first two books in this series.
I think one of the most interesting aspects of this series is the relationship between Anaxantis and his brother Ehandar and how Ehandar was able to be brought so low. This is one of the main reasons I continue this series, as well as to find out how things turn out for Anaxantis in the end. I wish there had been more interaction between Ehandar and Anaxantis in this book.
I also agree with some of the other reviewers that there were too many characters in this book that the author spend quite a bit of time writing about, yet seemed to be very minor characters.
All in all a fairly good storyline with an awful lot of extra seemingly unimportant nonsense thrown in to make the book a bit longer in length possibly?
I think one of the most interesting aspects of this series is the relationship between Anaxantis and his brother Ehandar and how Ehandar was able to be brought so low. This is one of the main reasons I continue this series, as well as to find out how things turn out for Anaxantis in the end. I wish there had been more interaction between Ehandar and Anaxantis in this book.
I also agree with some of the other reviewers that there were too many characters in this book that the author spend quite a bit of time writing about, yet seemed to be very minor characters.
All in all a fairly good storyline with an awful lot of extra seemingly unimportant nonsense thrown in to make the book a bit longer in length possibly?
Read
May 28, 2013Yes, I'm guilty of skim-reading in search of Ehandar/Tarno. I'll rate this if/when I ever actually read it.
Hmm...I know what it is. Though it IS m/m, the rest of it is framed in a high-fantasy-esque style that right now, I'm just not in the mood of dealing with. Too overly complex...
Some stuff I found that I'd written in regards to the content:
WARNING. MAY BE SPOILERS FROM BOOK THREE
The development of Ehandar/Tarno's character is interesting. It's subtly written but has all the more impact for that.
In book 2, Ehandar still thought of himself as Ehandar, however briefly. This was evidenced in the narration.
It's not exactly a different personality, and there Anaxantis is wrong. However, "Tarno" isn't wholly "Ehandar" either, and there Ehandar is incorrect. It's a different and definitely distinct mentality.
Towards the end of book two, though, you start to see the dehumanizing happening. Ehandar stops being referred to by his name and solely by a singular third person pronoun in the narration.
I thought the end note was a little too much in a stupid sort of way. Too apologetic while being "this is what it is and i don't give a f*ck what you think" in a weird way.
I feel like he didn't really need to explain the medieval-esque setting since he's writing high fantasy and that's what high fantasy is.
What bothers me, though, is that there is so much self-deception and over-inflated self images floating around. Yeah, it's human, but that doesn't mean I have to like it.
Hmm...I know what it is. Though it IS m/m, the rest of it is framed in a high-fantasy-esque style that right now, I'm just not in the mood of dealing with. Too overly complex...
Some stuff I found that I'd written in regards to the content:
WARNING. MAY BE SPOILERS FROM BOOK THREE
The development of Ehandar/Tarno's character is interesting. It's subtly written but has all the more impact for that.
In book 2, Ehandar still thought of himself as Ehandar, however briefly. This was evidenced in the narration.
It's not exactly a different personality, and there Anaxantis is wrong. However, "Tarno" isn't wholly "Ehandar" either, and there Ehandar is incorrect. It's a different and definitely distinct mentality.
Towards the end of book two, though, you start to see the dehumanizing happening. Ehandar stops being referred to by his name and solely by a singular third person pronoun in the narration.
I thought the end note was a little too much in a stupid sort of way. Too apologetic while being "this is what it is and i don't give a f*ck what you think" in a weird way.
I feel like he didn't really need to explain the medieval-esque setting since he's writing high fantasy and that's what high fantasy is.
What bothers me, though, is that there is so much self-deception and over-inflated self images floating around. Yeah, it's human, but that doesn't mean I have to like it.
January 6, 2015
“Don’t be impertinent. Kings don’t have sons. They have heirs.”
And so the struggle for power continues.
“Will there ever come a day when he will say ‘Come, it has been enough. It is over. I know you’re sorry, more than words can say. I know you love me, more than life itself. Let’s forget the past, my love, there’s a whole future awaiting us.’...”
The same goes for Anaxantis mind fucking Ehandar.
What I can say about this book...
► Too many characters to remember…I couldn't be arsed who the fuck are most of these people!
► This book almost feel like it's about Rullio's journey and sexcapades going to Lorseth Castle.
► Too less Ehandar moments. Grrr!
► I wanna kill everyone in this book.
► I don't know if I should be amused or disgusted with Emelasuntha's logic.
► I feel sorry for Jerruth, but he was at peace in the end. wasn't he?
“If only I could take him in my arms. He likes my strong arms. Tell him one last time that I am sorry. That I love him. And jump.”
At some point, I just wanted him to die. It seemed like the only way to end his suffering. Anaxantis really did a number to his head.
I love you. Don’t you know how much I love you?”
Yeah. I'm still Ehandar all the way. Anaxantis can fucking kiss my ass! ;p
October 7, 2012
4.5*
Book 2 of this series continues the breakneck intensity of Book 1. I am always in awe of the imagination of fantasy authors and bow before their genius. All the battle strategies, subplots and political dealings at times leave me cross-eyed. Having said that, there is a lot to love here. Numerous secondary characters are introduced in this book and they are all lovable (well the male ones - I found most of the female characters detestable, especially Rahendo's foul mouthed sisters). There are many laugh out loud moments, which you will need to balance the gruesome ones. Anaxantis is forced to grow up fast. I find it hard to believe he's only 17. He reads like he's in his 20s. Loved the twists and turns and, even though, I didn't seee the development I would have liked for Ehandar, it seems like he will have more of a focus in Book 3.
All in all, a very well written book with a few continued flaws from Book 1 - spelling errors (though not that many given that the book is almost 600 pages), the continued use of modern jargon and the paragraphs of thoughts in Italics (though nowhere near as much as Book 1).
Really enjoying this author. On to Book 3!
Book 2 of this series continues the breakneck intensity of Book 1. I am always in awe of the imagination of fantasy authors and bow before their genius. All the battle strategies, subplots and political dealings at times leave me cross-eyed. Having said that, there is a lot to love here. Numerous secondary characters are introduced in this book and they are all lovable (well the male ones - I found most of the female characters detestable, especially Rahendo's foul mouthed sisters). There are many laugh out loud moments, which you will need to balance the gruesome ones. Anaxantis is forced to grow up fast. I find it hard to believe he's only 17. He reads like he's in his 20s. Loved the twists and turns and, even though, I didn't seee the development I would have liked for Ehandar, it seems like he will have more of a focus in Book 3.
All in all, a very well written book with a few continued flaws from Book 1 - spelling errors (though not that many given that the book is almost 600 pages), the continued use of modern jargon and the paragraphs of thoughts in Italics (though nowhere near as much as Book 1).
Really enjoying this author. On to Book 3!
June 10, 2013
Could have been easily five stars, had there been more of Anaxantis and Ehandar in this book.
I found myself skipping pages when the adorable (?) pages appeared because they pulled me out of the otherwise compelling story of love, hatred, betrayal, friendship, political schemes and war. I didn't like it when the author used modern languages like 'hey', 'my ass', etc., when he tried to provide some light relief to this intense story. However, those who love the film 'A Knight's Tale' might actually like the bits I found awkward. And there were so many aspects of the author's writing I couldn't help but appreciate that it didn't particularly matter if I had to skip some parts of the book. The important thing was I had to buy the book three straight away.
I loved how Anaxantis was modelled after Alexander the Great but with many interesting twists. I wondered whether Anaxantis and Ehandar represented different aspects of Alexander, since it was so easy to imagine Alexander totally being in love with himself. Their twisted love story and Anaxantis' conflicting feelings regarding his half-brother made a fascinating read.
I found myself skipping pages when the adorable (?) pages appeared because they pulled me out of the otherwise compelling story of love, hatred, betrayal, friendship, political schemes and war. I didn't like it when the author used modern languages like 'hey', 'my ass', etc., when he tried to provide some light relief to this intense story. However, those who love the film 'A Knight's Tale' might actually like the bits I found awkward. And there were so many aspects of the author's writing I couldn't help but appreciate that it didn't particularly matter if I had to skip some parts of the book. The important thing was I had to buy the book three straight away.
I loved how Anaxantis was modelled after Alexander the Great but with many interesting twists. I wondered whether Anaxantis and Ehandar represented different aspects of Alexander, since it was so easy to imagine Alexander totally being in love with himself. Their twisted love story and Anaxantis' conflicting feelings regarding his half-brother made a fascinating read.
August 5, 2014
One thing I really liked about this book was that there was some het romance! (Little but I was starting to wonder if there was going to be any)
I know it's a m/m romance novel, but is an unrealistic portrait of reality (and now romance het novels have GLBT romances, yay!) I also like (even though I would like more sexy times u///u) the character development of everyone, the novel doesn't focus only in Anaxantis and Tarno, it shows glimpses of the lives of all the other characters, in situations that have little to do with the main plot, which was pretty cool and refreshing.
I keep liking how little they care about their incestuous relationship, Anaxantis is more worried (and that's another good thing! he worries!) about the fate of his poor brother all alone, but he doesn't give a damn about their blood relationship, it's not even kinky for them.
The only bummer is the lack of sexy times u_u, but this novel is a plot-oriented novel and not a smutty one.
I know it's a m/m romance novel, but is an unrealistic portrait of reality (and now romance het novels have GLBT romances, yay!) I also like (even though I would like more sexy times u///u) the character development of everyone, the novel doesn't focus only in Anaxantis and Tarno, it shows glimpses of the lives of all the other characters, in situations that have little to do with the main plot, which was pretty cool and refreshing.
I keep liking how little they care about their incestuous relationship, Anaxantis is more worried (and that's another good thing! he worries!) about the fate of his poor brother all alone, but he doesn't give a damn about their blood relationship, it's not even kinky for them.
The only bummer is the lack of sexy times u_u, but this novel is a plot-oriented novel and not a smutty one.
April 27, 2015
I don't think I'm ready to write off Anaxantis and I'm certainly not ready to sympathize with his father. Sure, members of a royal family must exist in a different world especially when the pattern set before them has been nothing but treachery and back stabbing. Bonds of Fear is a continuation of the saga where Anaxantis faces a grave attempt on his governorship in the north as well as on his life. This book significantly backs away from Anaxantis's viewpoint and shows his development and actions mostly through other characters. Even though the relationship between him and his brother is not central to this book, the question still remains. I'm just waiting for his brother to apologize. Saying "I love you" only goes so far; if only he would apologize. What is he waiting for? I'm rooting for both brothers and for love. If one falls, I fear the other will too.
November 5, 2011
A fantastic continuation of the first novel, written in a consistent style. Again, the characterisation is intense and well done and the plot continues where we left off in Book #1. The taste of betrayal will sting your tongue as you flip your way through this book. Both my admiration and my frustration with the main character kept me on the edge of my seat the whole way through. High recommended.
April 19, 2012
As good as the first, no, better. Loved it. Could not put it down.
January 2, 2014
Originally read on Aarinfantasy
Then July 13, 2012
Then July 13, 2012
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