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Chained Knight
A woman on the run. A summer storm. Lightning…and landslide.
Fleeing a hellish marriage, Ariadne Millar stumbles from her wrecked car into the storm-torn woods—and finds herself stranded in a strange land, its language alien, its eerie beauty surpassed only by its sudden, breathtaking violence.
A dark castle looms in the distance. A chained man begs for aid. Underdark has been waiting for a queen's return, and the only thing more frightening than the hallucinatory vividness of Ari's surroundings is the persistent sense that she has been here before.
Nightmare, hell, or bizarre reality? Each choice is more dangerous than the last, and time is running out as the Conjunction nears. Ari must thread her way through the maze, no matter the cost or consequences, for she has dreamed of a knight trapped in iron…
…and he, of course, has plans of his own.
Fleeing a hellish marriage, Ariadne Millar stumbles from her wrecked car into the storm-torn woods—and finds herself stranded in a strange land, its language alien, its eerie beauty surpassed only by its sudden, breathtaking violence.
A dark castle looms in the distance. A chained man begs for aid. Underdark has been waiting for a queen's return, and the only thing more frightening than the hallucinatory vividness of Ari's surroundings is the persistent sense that she has been here before.
Nightmare, hell, or bizarre reality? Each choice is more dangerous than the last, and time is running out as the Conjunction nears. Ari must thread her way through the maze, no matter the cost or consequences, for she has dreamed of a knight trapped in iron…
…and he, of course, has plans of his own.
284 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 26, 2024
15 people are currently reading
40 people want to read
About the author
Lilith Saintcrow
132 books4,512 followersLilith Saintcrow was born in New Mexico, bounced around the world as a child, and fell in love with writing stories when she was ten years old. She and her library co-habitate in Vancouver, Washington.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
April 20, 2025
Love a good psychedelic trip in a book.
(Note: I read this the day after The Vegetarian and in my mind this is how everyone should read it because I feel they're 2 sides of the same coin in a weird abstract way that I can't describe.)
I'm not sure how or when this crossed my radar, but I'm so glad it did. (Maybe due entirely to that SICK author name?) It was on my tbr for a couple of weeks and was an impulse online buy, which I'm so glad I did.
This is a relatively short, lovely, and hypnotising book that sucks you in immediately. The main character Ari is on the run after killing her abusive husband (not a spoiler this is on page 2), and while running she's caught in a storm, hits her head, and wakes up...somewhere else.
As she journeys through this new world she finds herself in, which is itself in danger from an ominously named "Bright King", Ari must work out if she is hallucinating after falling in the storm and having some sort of a psychotic break, in some strange personal version of Hell, or if she is actually in an alternate, fantasy reality. The journey is rife with action, mystery, and gorgeous landscapes, which the author describes in vivid detail. I felt absolutely transported.
I will say I expected the chained knight to have more of a haunting presence. The concept of him was what made me interested in reading this in the first place, but in the end Ari stole the show with her wry inner monologue and beautiful artistic view of the world as she walks through it. The Knight had an intense presence when he was on page, but I feel he could have been utilised better. In fact, perhaps the whole book would have benefited from this aspect of the plot leaning slightly into a more horror-like atmosphere. We know his face has haunted her dreams for years, and she finds him chained in the keep very early on, but I feel the confusion and fear of what he was prior to being released could have been teased better. I understand this world and the Knight were intended to represent escapism and freedom for Ari and so therefore were written with that in mind (so positive descriptions and calming language), but just a little more horror would have made it perfect. There is plenty of horror however, sprinkled throughout in other ways as we learn of Ari's abusive, now dead husband, and as she unpacks the trauma and we see it affecting her interactions on page, there definitely is horror in that.
All in all, it is an excellent, engaging, and fun fantasy with gorgeous medieval imagery. I'm so impressed by Saintcrow's writing and absolutely will try other works.
(Note: I read this the day after The Vegetarian and in my mind this is how everyone should read it because I feel they're 2 sides of the same coin in a weird abstract way that I can't describe.)
I'm not sure how or when this crossed my radar, but I'm so glad it did. (Maybe due entirely to that SICK author name?) It was on my tbr for a couple of weeks and was an impulse online buy, which I'm so glad I did.
This is a relatively short, lovely, and hypnotising book that sucks you in immediately. The main character Ari is on the run after killing her abusive husband (not a spoiler this is on page 2), and while running she's caught in a storm, hits her head, and wakes up...somewhere else.
As she journeys through this new world she finds herself in, which is itself in danger from an ominously named "Bright King", Ari must work out if she is hallucinating after falling in the storm and having some sort of a psychotic break, in some strange personal version of Hell, or if she is actually in an alternate, fantasy reality. The journey is rife with action, mystery, and gorgeous landscapes, which the author describes in vivid detail. I felt absolutely transported.
I will say I expected the chained knight to have more of a haunting presence. The concept of him was what made me interested in reading this in the first place, but in the end Ari stole the show with her wry inner monologue and beautiful artistic view of the world as she walks through it. The Knight had an intense presence when he was on page, but I feel he could have been utilised better. In fact, perhaps the whole book would have benefited from this aspect of the plot leaning slightly into a more horror-like atmosphere. We know his face has haunted her dreams for years, and she finds him chained in the keep very early on, but I feel the confusion and fear of what he was prior to being released could have been teased better. I understand this world and the Knight were intended to represent escapism and freedom for Ari and so therefore were written with that in mind (so positive descriptions and calming language), but just a little more horror would have made it perfect. There is plenty of horror however, sprinkled throughout in other ways as we learn of Ari's abusive, now dead husband, and as she unpacks the trauma and we see it affecting her interactions on page, there definitely is horror in that.
All in all, it is an excellent, engaging, and fun fantasy with gorgeous medieval imagery. I'm so impressed by Saintcrow's writing and absolutely will try other works.
November 28, 2024
Saintcrow at the top of her form
This is a very real feeling fantasy. The doubts of a strong woman at near her limits who keeps going forward, not out of belligerence but because sometimes one must. Lovely closing.
This is a very real feeling fantasy. The doubts of a strong woman at near her limits who keeps going forward, not out of belligerence but because sometimes one must. Lovely closing.
May 10, 2025
sweet retreat into fantasy
Needed this fantastical book at this time of political unrest in the US. Saintcrow is so very talented in building these stories in like-not-like worlds. Just on the edge of reality. Loved this story.
Needed this fantastical book at this time of political unrest in the US. Saintcrow is so very talented in building these stories in like-not-like worlds. Just on the edge of reality. Loved this story.
March 17, 2025
I was hoping for something different. And even after 50%, I felt the story wasn't progressing enough. I was still just as clueless as Ari. Just when I thought I would learn more origin and backstories about this fantasy land and characters, the moment would immediately disappear. Either Ari loses the opportunity to ask further questions or the characters don't want to discuss the past.
Using art terms and artist styles to describe the scenery and characters was a very interesting concept, but I felt it took up a lot of the story. And Ari frustrated me with her repeating the same thoughts over and over again. I kind of was sick of hearing about Mike and his crappy parents. I wanted to learn more about Ari, her childhood, her art, her nightmares, and her mother.
Overall there was potential and I enjoyed the characters, the writing and the imagery for the first half, but I wanted a little more. And the final confrontation was anticlimactic for me. Whatever inner strength Ari suddenly gained at the end was unconvincing. I'm not expecting her to be quickly "healed" and super heroic. But she was unfortunately so traumatized, in disbelief and with low self-esteem for the entire book.
Using art terms and artist styles to describe the scenery and characters was a very interesting concept, but I felt it took up a lot of the story. And Ari frustrated me with her repeating the same thoughts over and over again. I kind of was sick of hearing about Mike and his crappy parents. I wanted to learn more about Ari, her childhood, her art, her nightmares, and her mother.
Overall there was potential and I enjoyed the characters, the writing and the imagery for the first half, but I wanted a little more. And the final confrontation was anticlimactic for me. Whatever inner strength Ari suddenly gained at the end was unconvincing. I'm not expecting her to be quickly "healed" and super heroic. But she was unfortunately so traumatized, in disbelief and with low self-esteem for the entire book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 16, 2025
A woman on the run. A summer storm. Lightning…and landslide.
Fleeing a hellish marriage, Ariadne Millar stumbles from her wrecked car into the storm-torn woods—and finds herself stranded in a strange land, its language alien, its eerie beauty surpassed only by its sudden, breathtaking violence.
A dark castle looms in the distance. A chained man begs for aid. Underdark has been waiting for a queen's return, and the only thing more frightening than the hallucinatory vividness of Ari's surroundings is the persistent sense that she has been here before.
Nightmare, hell, or bizarre reality? Each choice is more dangerous than the last, and time is running out as the Conjunction nears. Ari must thread her way through the maze, no matter the cost or consequences, for she has dreamed of a knight trapped in iron…
…and he, of course, has plans of his own.
Fleeing a hellish marriage, Ariadne Millar stumbles from her wrecked car into the storm-torn woods—and finds herself stranded in a strange land, its language alien, its eerie beauty surpassed only by its sudden, breathtaking violence.
A dark castle looms in the distance. A chained man begs for aid. Underdark has been waiting for a queen's return, and the only thing more frightening than the hallucinatory vividness of Ari's surroundings is the persistent sense that she has been here before.
Nightmare, hell, or bizarre reality? Each choice is more dangerous than the last, and time is running out as the Conjunction nears. Ari must thread her way through the maze, no matter the cost or consequences, for she has dreamed of a knight trapped in iron…
…and he, of course, has plans of his own.
January 7, 2026
I enjoyed the fact that she's credibly traumatised from by her past, it helped ground the book for me. The plot twist was what I had hoped it would be. Which is the second-best option. The very best is when it's something I should have seen coming, but didn't.
I'm still not sure how I felt about the various art references. I guess those would have worked better for me if they were more concentrated and slightly more niche?
So the rating is rounded up.
I'm still not sure how I felt about the various art references. I guess those would have worked better for me if they were more concentrated and slightly more niche?
So the rating is rounded up.
August 17, 2025
A beautiful fairy tale with a deeply traumatized and-not so intrepid-explorer heroine who sees the world as an artist, in mediums and colors. You may have to read between the lines a bit or use your imagination to fill in some gaps. I read it slowly and savored it. Pretty sure I’ll be reading it again in the fall.
November 27, 2024
Vivid writing, a landscape by turns magical and terrible, and a traumatized character desperately trying to negotiate her way through it. My heart ached for Ari.
December 9, 2024
This was like a fever dream of art and fantasy and shadows of many books that I have read. Ending was perfect. Thank you so much.
January 1, 2025
2.5 stars
January 7, 2025
A unique book in a sea of (often) sameness. I feel like I just read about Oz for the first time?
Read
January 19, 2025This had promise, but I was soooo confused.
March 30, 2025
Yeah. Liked it
Gooder n hell. Wish it had been more longer. Like all her stories. Fantastic story teller and you interesting people
Gooder n hell. Wish it had been more longer. Like all her stories. Fantastic story teller and you interesting people
May 18, 2025
Not my speed, but very well written.
May 19, 2025
I enjoyed the story, but I found Ari annoying.
January 3, 2026
I loved this book. It has this atmosphere and teeth that follow you throughout the journey.
January 22, 2025
Q: If this was a psychotic break it was an interestingly archaic one, both in aesthetics and linguistics. (c)
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews