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Beginnings
THIS IS A SAMPLER
IT IS NOT A PREQUEL NOR AN INTRODUCTION NOR A SEPARATE PART OF THE SERIES.
IT DOESN'T CONTAIN ANY ORIGINAL MATERIAL - NOT A SINGLE LETTER.
IT IS A TRAILER AND JUST LIKE A TRAILER OF "STAR WARS" IS NOT "STAR WARS - PART 0" THIS IS NOT "DARK TALES OF RANDAMOR THE RECLUSE - PART ZERO" or "PART 0.5"
IT CONTAINS THE FIRST TWELVE CHAPTERS OF "PART 1: BONDS OF HATE"
IT WAS A TEMPORARY PROMOTION GIMMICK AND HAS SINCE BEEN RETIRED.
IT IS NOT A PREQUEL NOR AN INTRODUCTION NOR A SEPARATE PART OF THE SERIES.
IT DOESN'T CONTAIN ANY ORIGINAL MATERIAL - NOT A SINGLE LETTER.
IT IS A TRAILER AND JUST LIKE A TRAILER OF "STAR WARS" IS NOT "STAR WARS - PART 0" THIS IS NOT "DARK TALES OF RANDAMOR THE RECLUSE - PART ZERO" or "PART 0.5"
IT CONTAINS THE FIRST TWELVE CHAPTERS OF "PART 1: BONDS OF HATE"
IT WAS A TEMPORARY PROMOTION GIMMICK AND HAS SINCE BEEN RETIRED.
274 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 2, 2012
10 people are currently reading
105 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
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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
Ratings & Reviews
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
January 26, 2013
This is the first 12 chapters of the book The Invisible Chains: Book I: Chains of Hate.
A beginning to a new world's history has started.
It's hard to believe the cruelty of this royal line. Their way of selecting the successor king is by which of the sons is the strongest, able to seize and hold the crown and kill the others. As a result, the boys have no real friendship with one another. Indeed, they seem to have been raised separately, always aware of the way to become the King or to face death at a brother's hands.
That said, a war has begun in the south of the kingdom. The king has sent his oldest son with half the army to face the enemy. He then surprises his two youngest sons by appointing them Lord Governors over one territory, the Northern Marches. The boys have had different mothers. Rumors have it that one of the sons may not have been the king's son at all.
One young man is strong; one is sickly. One athletic, one "booky." The older one is repelled by the younger and plots to become the only Lord Governor. What follows involves imprisonment, love, hatred, sex, revenge, and degradation.
This "Beginnings" leaves you eager to read the full book, Bonds of Hate, to see how Ashling will resolve the issues raised. He promised to set expected tropes on their heads."
It won't be a comfortable ending. After all, it's only the first 12 chapters of another book.
A beginning to a new world's history has started.
It's hard to believe the cruelty of this royal line. Their way of selecting the successor king is by which of the sons is the strongest, able to seize and hold the crown and kill the others. As a result, the boys have no real friendship with one another. Indeed, they seem to have been raised separately, always aware of the way to become the King or to face death at a brother's hands.
That said, a war has begun in the south of the kingdom. The king has sent his oldest son with half the army to face the enemy. He then surprises his two youngest sons by appointing them Lord Governors over one territory, the Northern Marches. The boys have had different mothers. Rumors have it that one of the sons may not have been the king's son at all.
One young man is strong; one is sickly. One athletic, one "booky." The older one is repelled by the younger and plots to become the only Lord Governor. What follows involves imprisonment, love, hatred, sex, revenge, and degradation.
This "Beginnings" leaves you eager to read the full book, Bonds of Hate, to see how Ashling will resolve the issues raised. He promised to set expected tropes on their heads."
It won't be a comfortable ending. After all, it's only the first 12 chapters of another book.
September 2, 2015
This introductory series to the Dark Tales of Randamor is engaging, and appealing. There are several plots lines that snake and parallel each other and, it's obvious, from the use of dialogue, flash backs, descriptive tension and scenes that Andrew Ashling is a storyteller.
The main conflict in this free download is the relationship of Ehandar, the older brother and prince to Anaxantis. The conflict between the brother-princes appears early on, and the changes in the relationship are surprising, and wonderfully complex.
The writing includes graphic sex, and adult themes, and the storyline involving the brothers will surprise you. Remember this is an adult themed book, and the author will remind you this again in the beginning of this piece.
The use of internal dialogue of the characters as they talk to each other and interact is different, and unusual, but is similar to reading manga, or YAOI in which the reader can hear what is being spoken between the characters and what the speaker or character is thinking (that is, speech, and thought bubbles).
If you like fantasy where the characters happen to be gay, and have no problems with erotic elements, then I would highly recommend this series and this author
The main conflict in this free download is the relationship of Ehandar, the older brother and prince to Anaxantis. The conflict between the brother-princes appears early on, and the changes in the relationship are surprising, and wonderfully complex.
The writing includes graphic sex, and adult themes, and the storyline involving the brothers will surprise you. Remember this is an adult themed book, and the author will remind you this again in the beginning of this piece.
The use of internal dialogue of the characters as they talk to each other and interact is different, and unusual, but is similar to reading manga, or YAOI in which the reader can hear what is being spoken between the characters and what the speaker or character is thinking (that is, speech, and thought bubbles).
If you like fantasy where the characters happen to be gay, and have no problems with erotic elements, then I would highly recommend this series and this author
February 11, 2014
Too many characters, too many different story lines, too many inner monologues.
And the loooong thoughts were in italics too.
I didn't like this very much and skimmed a lot of pages, simply because a lot of side action didn't contribute much to the main story.
I very much disliked the whole "women are bad and want to rule the world" story line.
Also there were so many gay guys in that book. Somehow strange and not explained within the world-building.
The protag was not really an object of affection. He seemed very manipulative and his suffering at his brother's hand was a bit too convenient and not set very well into their dynamic.
Also his "revenge" came in a very implausible frame.
And the loooong thoughts were in italics too.
I didn't like this very much and skimmed a lot of pages, simply because a lot of side action didn't contribute much to the main story.
I very much disliked the whole "women are bad and want to rule the world" story line.
Also there were so many gay guys in that book. Somehow strange and not explained within the world-building.
The protag was not really an object of affection. He seemed very manipulative and his suffering at his brother's hand was a bit too convenient and not set very well into their dynamic.
Also his "revenge" came in a very implausible frame.
November 29, 2013
Excellent! What a story, I was immediately drawn in. A Royal Family with intrigues all around. There's a lot to keep track of, but well worth it. I really enjoyed myself and lost myself in the story. This is what reading is all about. Escapism and a fantasy world where you hang on every chapter to see where you will be taken. Thumbs up!!
May 12, 2014
Let me say this story has potential, and it was really interesting I just couldn't get past the information dump. In fairness the author warns you about it but in the end it wasn't my cup or tea no matter how hard I wanted it to be
owned-to-read
January 1, 2014*downloaded free on ARE
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews