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Casthen Gain: A novella of The Graven
Fifteen prisoners. One prize. Only one survivor allowed.
A wayward culinarian investigates the wrong secret and finds himself dropped on the strangest and most dangerous planet in the multiverse. He’s here alongside murderers, exiles, and adrenaline-seekers to participate in a battle royale race, forced to hunt for an eons-buried mystery or die trying. The prize? Being allowed to live…and join the cruel organization that put them all here, which might just mean the creative freedom Sentace has craved all his life.
A wayward culinarian investigates the wrong secret and finds himself dropped on the strangest and most dangerous planet in the multiverse. He’s here alongside murderers, exiles, and adrenaline-seekers to participate in a battle royale race, forced to hunt for an eons-buried mystery or die trying. The prize? Being allowed to live…and join the cruel organization that put them all here, which might just mean the creative freedom Sentace has craved all his life.
- GenresScience Fiction
146 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 28, 2025
20 people are currently reading
134 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
July 25, 2025
Rules can be stifling, especially for artists. How can an artist fully express their creativity if the environment limits their options? Many projects don’t reach their full potential due to unavailable resources, conservative oversight, or a lack of trust. But if you can’t change the rules… then one must change the environment.
In Casthen Gain, a companion novella to Essa Hansen’s “The Graven” trilogy, Sentace Ketch is a chef living on an isolated planet of Trow. While he is extremely skilled at his craft, Trowan society does not allow any recipes to deviate from the norm. All recipes need to be followed to the letter; all slices need to be exactly measured every time a dish is made, and no deviance or unapproved experimentation is allowed.
It is due to these strict societal rules that a fellow Trowan, an anarchist named Evi, decides to quite literally burn it all to the ground. She becomes the most wanted fugitive on the planet, and Sentace is selected to find her and bring her to justice.
But why Sentace? The answer is what makes Hansen’s books so thrilling and unexpected. Her stories are set in a bubble multiverse, and each bubble has its own universal properties and laws of physics. Think of sea foam in a crashing wave: each bubble a different size; some are incomprehensibly massive, while others may be as small as a bullet hole. The ‘rind’ is the layer that separates these bubbles, and due to varying physical circumstances, passing through the wrong rind can be quite deadly, depending on your physical and chemical makeup.
As a transuniversal chef, Sentace is skilled at identifying the properties of bubble universes and utilizing them to create feasts of unmatched quality. By passing meat, plants, fruit, nuts, and other flora and fauna through the right type of bubble universe, he can mix and meld their properties to produce mouth-watering meals that can appeal to almost any life form. The Trowan leaders believe that Sentace’s environmental knowledge and resource versatility makes him the ideal hunter to chase down the fugitive Evi across the multiverse.
It doesn’t go well. The story opens with Sentace captured amongst a ship full of prisoners, who are then dropped onto the dangerous Casthen planet. The Casthen rule over the majority of the multiverse; they are dangerous, technologically advanced, and of questionable moral value. Sentace must hunt for Evi on this unforgiving planet full of dangerous bubble universes, while fighting to survive a deadly Casthen social experiment.
Casthen Gain packs an impressive amount of story into a novella. It was exciting and often shocking to see Sentace evolve and fulfill his potential. His journey is reminiscent of the Amish rite of passage Rumspringa, where he leaves a restrictive society to experiment with the social freedoms of the modern era.
And the food. THE FOOD. Much like The Graven trilogy, I’ve never felt so hungry reading about meal preparation with ingredients that don’t exist. Hansen is extraordinary at tantalizing your senses with the written word. Her descriptions are so appetizing, I could almost smell and taste the food right off the page. The reading experience invokes a reaction akin to synesthesia.
Reading Casthen Gain is like a theme park ride. It assaults your senses, it’s blisteringly paced, and its unique environment will leave a lasting impression. While it is not necessary to read The Graven trilogy before diving in, there are some easter eggs for fans of the saga. Essa Hansen is already a ‘buy it on release day’ author, and this novella solidifies this decision. It is highly recommended to anyone looking for a thought-provoking, original story with innovative creations and exciting locales.
In Casthen Gain, a companion novella to Essa Hansen’s “The Graven” trilogy, Sentace Ketch is a chef living on an isolated planet of Trow. While he is extremely skilled at his craft, Trowan society does not allow any recipes to deviate from the norm. All recipes need to be followed to the letter; all slices need to be exactly measured every time a dish is made, and no deviance or unapproved experimentation is allowed.
It is due to these strict societal rules that a fellow Trowan, an anarchist named Evi, decides to quite literally burn it all to the ground. She becomes the most wanted fugitive on the planet, and Sentace is selected to find her and bring her to justice.
But why Sentace? The answer is what makes Hansen’s books so thrilling and unexpected. Her stories are set in a bubble multiverse, and each bubble has its own universal properties and laws of physics. Think of sea foam in a crashing wave: each bubble a different size; some are incomprehensibly massive, while others may be as small as a bullet hole. The ‘rind’ is the layer that separates these bubbles, and due to varying physical circumstances, passing through the wrong rind can be quite deadly, depending on your physical and chemical makeup.
As a transuniversal chef, Sentace is skilled at identifying the properties of bubble universes and utilizing them to create feasts of unmatched quality. By passing meat, plants, fruit, nuts, and other flora and fauna through the right type of bubble universe, he can mix and meld their properties to produce mouth-watering meals that can appeal to almost any life form. The Trowan leaders believe that Sentace’s environmental knowledge and resource versatility makes him the ideal hunter to chase down the fugitive Evi across the multiverse.
It doesn’t go well. The story opens with Sentace captured amongst a ship full of prisoners, who are then dropped onto the dangerous Casthen planet. The Casthen rule over the majority of the multiverse; they are dangerous, technologically advanced, and of questionable moral value. Sentace must hunt for Evi on this unforgiving planet full of dangerous bubble universes, while fighting to survive a deadly Casthen social experiment.
Casthen Gain packs an impressive amount of story into a novella. It was exciting and often shocking to see Sentace evolve and fulfill his potential. His journey is reminiscent of the Amish rite of passage Rumspringa, where he leaves a restrictive society to experiment with the social freedoms of the modern era.
And the food. THE FOOD. Much like The Graven trilogy, I’ve never felt so hungry reading about meal preparation with ingredients that don’t exist. Hansen is extraordinary at tantalizing your senses with the written word. Her descriptions are so appetizing, I could almost smell and taste the food right off the page. The reading experience invokes a reaction akin to synesthesia.
Reading Casthen Gain is like a theme park ride. It assaults your senses, it’s blisteringly paced, and its unique environment will leave a lasting impression. While it is not necessary to read The Graven trilogy before diving in, there are some easter eggs for fans of the saga. Essa Hansen is already a ‘buy it on release day’ author, and this novella solidifies this decision. It is highly recommended to anyone looking for a thought-provoking, original story with innovative creations and exciting locales.
September 20, 2025
I received a review copy of Casthen Gain from Grimdark Magazine in exchange for an honest review. Please note: I write reviews for Grimdark Magazine infrequently, but have nothing to do with the publishing side of the website or magazine.
Casthen Gain is a dark science fiction novella set in Essa Hansen's The Graven universe, and the battle royale setup is intriguing. Sentace (a chef) finds himself dropped onto a dangerous planet with fourteen other prisoners. The group are informed that there is an anomaly that needs to be found, and whoever locates it will be allowed to survive. Amongst the varied mix of species and personalities taking part in this bloody engagement are some truly menacing figures. Increasing the danger, this contest is organised by the seemingly nefarious group, the Casthen, whose motives are unknown. Furthermore, the planet's environment is perilous and hostile.
This is my first time experiencing Hansen's science fiction work, although I have heard positive reviews about her The Graven trilogy. After the first chapter, 'Rough Crowd', Hansen had me invested. I wanted to learn more about Sentace, his history, and the experiences that led him to this strange predicament. Furthermore, I wanted to know how he would handle the uncertainties that would follow. Sentace is an intriguing grimdark lead character, mixing competence, a fascinating skillset, good humour, and splatters of both good and bad luck. Although consistently likeable, we learn more about his motives as the tale progresses. The novella features well-crafted side characters, too, including the revolutionary Evi, and Chiidi: the friendly, cute, and helpless companion. The latter would not seem out of place as the kooky party member of a Final Fantasy group.
Casthen Gain features showdowns against formidable foes, planet exploration, challenges such as exhaustion and malnutrition, and bubble universes. The bubble universes are an intriguing concept. Each of these has a different makeup. Some can vaporise anyone who enters, whilst others can be used by Sentace, helping to provide ingredients for delicious meals. They range from small to miles wide, and for the uninitiated, they can be pure destruction.
Casthen Gain is often thrilling with many evocative moments. The pacing is mostly excellent; however, I found a couple of segments quite jarring. This novella is a hard science fiction text and as such, sometimes descends into complex physics laws or descriptions of the planet's flora and fungi. Unfortunately, these moments took me away from the immediacy of the risks the battle royale presents. Although it was not a perfect fit for me, I can commend Hansen's in-depth and detailed worldbuilding skills and feel these moments could win her fans for The Graven trilogy.
I cannot deny that Hansen is an extremely talented writer. She writes beautifully, delivering some captivating moments, and I was thoroughly impressed with her use of striking figurative language. One vivid example being: 'A tomb of universes: a grave marker etched into the fabric of the cosmos. A place that shouldn't be disturbed again.' With these writing skills, certain themes are touched upon powerfully and poignantly, including dystopian societies, revolution, power, and lost advanced technology. At least a dozen times, I reread wonderful and impactful statements that Hansen has devised, such as 'After everything that had happened, he felt pulverized and rolled out and folded back into the shape of a person'. These moments had me gripped and emotionally invested.
In conclusion, Casthen Gain works well as a standalone science fiction novella, which invites fans of her trilogy to return or new readers to discover what her detailed, complex, and beautiful universe offers. Casthen Gain has great characters, ends neatly, and overall is an exciting and surprisingly deep novella with its 138 pages. 7.5/10.
Casthen Gain is a dark science fiction novella set in Essa Hansen's The Graven universe, and the battle royale setup is intriguing. Sentace (a chef) finds himself dropped onto a dangerous planet with fourteen other prisoners. The group are informed that there is an anomaly that needs to be found, and whoever locates it will be allowed to survive. Amongst the varied mix of species and personalities taking part in this bloody engagement are some truly menacing figures. Increasing the danger, this contest is organised by the seemingly nefarious group, the Casthen, whose motives are unknown. Furthermore, the planet's environment is perilous and hostile.
This is my first time experiencing Hansen's science fiction work, although I have heard positive reviews about her The Graven trilogy. After the first chapter, 'Rough Crowd', Hansen had me invested. I wanted to learn more about Sentace, his history, and the experiences that led him to this strange predicament. Furthermore, I wanted to know how he would handle the uncertainties that would follow. Sentace is an intriguing grimdark lead character, mixing competence, a fascinating skillset, good humour, and splatters of both good and bad luck. Although consistently likeable, we learn more about his motives as the tale progresses. The novella features well-crafted side characters, too, including the revolutionary Evi, and Chiidi: the friendly, cute, and helpless companion. The latter would not seem out of place as the kooky party member of a Final Fantasy group.
Casthen Gain features showdowns against formidable foes, planet exploration, challenges such as exhaustion and malnutrition, and bubble universes. The bubble universes are an intriguing concept. Each of these has a different makeup. Some can vaporise anyone who enters, whilst others can be used by Sentace, helping to provide ingredients for delicious meals. They range from small to miles wide, and for the uninitiated, they can be pure destruction.
Casthen Gain is often thrilling with many evocative moments. The pacing is mostly excellent; however, I found a couple of segments quite jarring. This novella is a hard science fiction text and as such, sometimes descends into complex physics laws or descriptions of the planet's flora and fungi. Unfortunately, these moments took me away from the immediacy of the risks the battle royale presents. Although it was not a perfect fit for me, I can commend Hansen's in-depth and detailed worldbuilding skills and feel these moments could win her fans for The Graven trilogy.
I cannot deny that Hansen is an extremely talented writer. She writes beautifully, delivering some captivating moments, and I was thoroughly impressed with her use of striking figurative language. One vivid example being: 'A tomb of universes: a grave marker etched into the fabric of the cosmos. A place that shouldn't be disturbed again.' With these writing skills, certain themes are touched upon powerfully and poignantly, including dystopian societies, revolution, power, and lost advanced technology. At least a dozen times, I reread wonderful and impactful statements that Hansen has devised, such as 'After everything that had happened, he felt pulverized and rolled out and folded back into the shape of a person'. These moments had me gripped and emotionally invested.
In conclusion, Casthen Gain works well as a standalone science fiction novella, which invites fans of her trilogy to return or new readers to discover what her detailed, complex, and beautiful universe offers. Casthen Gain has great characters, ends neatly, and overall is an exciting and surprisingly deep novella with its 138 pages. 7.5/10.
July 29, 2025
Review originally on JamReads
Casthen Gain is a space opera novella set in the Graven universe, written by Essa Hansen, and published by Grimdark Magazine. An imaginative return to Hansen's rich universe (it is a standalone piece, but it contains some easter eggs for readers of the novels) with an intriguing battle royale setup with a really unique main character that will also help to reinforce the focus in such a neglected aspect on speculative fiction such as food, all wrapped in a fast-paced plot.
Sentance Ketch, a chef, finds himself thrown onto a dangerous planet with another fourteen prisoners; they are informed of the existence of an anomaly on the planet, and the one that finds it would survive, joining the dangerous organization behind this: the Casthen. A hostile environment where our crafty and skilled character will have to put those abilities to use if he wants to find the anomaly and finally reach that freedom he was so desperately looking for.
Sentance is the perfect lead for this kind of novella; not only we have a really competent character, but also one that we can get behind, support him as he tries to fulfill his dream of freedom. He's quite likeable, a person who took the gamble in order to be free to practice his craft; but even in that situation, we can see him being kind to secondary characters, winning our hearts meanwhile.
The secondary cast also deserves a highlight, with well-crafted characters such as Childi, a friendly but helpless companion (he's adorable, to be fair), and the revolutionary Evi, giving us more information about the Trow and its society, why Sentance chose the gamble of persecuting her for the chance of escaping.
Hansen's worldbuilding is simply mind-bending; she smartly uses the bubble universes concept in combination with the dangerous environment to gift us with some of the most imaginative places we can see depicted in the genre, putting the focus on the sensorial experience. Her prose is really evocative, perfectly accompanying the perspective of our lead character, quite fitting if we take all into account.
As you could expect from this kind of proposal, the pacing is relatively fast, but still gifting some moments of introspection, to alleviate the tension while also using the opportunity to flesh the characters.
Casthen Gain is a delightful novella, an excellent dark space opera proposal perfect for those of us that were craving for a return to the Graven; a standalone that gives you a taste of what Hansen is able to do, showing a glimpse of her imaginative worldbuilding and her evocative prose. Always an Essa Hansen fan!
Casthen Gain is a space opera novella set in the Graven universe, written by Essa Hansen, and published by Grimdark Magazine. An imaginative return to Hansen's rich universe (it is a standalone piece, but it contains some easter eggs for readers of the novels) with an intriguing battle royale setup with a really unique main character that will also help to reinforce the focus in such a neglected aspect on speculative fiction such as food, all wrapped in a fast-paced plot.
Sentance Ketch, a chef, finds himself thrown onto a dangerous planet with another fourteen prisoners; they are informed of the existence of an anomaly on the planet, and the one that finds it would survive, joining the dangerous organization behind this: the Casthen. A hostile environment where our crafty and skilled character will have to put those abilities to use if he wants to find the anomaly and finally reach that freedom he was so desperately looking for.
Sentance is the perfect lead for this kind of novella; not only we have a really competent character, but also one that we can get behind, support him as he tries to fulfill his dream of freedom. He's quite likeable, a person who took the gamble in order to be free to practice his craft; but even in that situation, we can see him being kind to secondary characters, winning our hearts meanwhile.
The secondary cast also deserves a highlight, with well-crafted characters such as Childi, a friendly but helpless companion (he's adorable, to be fair), and the revolutionary Evi, giving us more information about the Trow and its society, why Sentance chose the gamble of persecuting her for the chance of escaping.
Hansen's worldbuilding is simply mind-bending; she smartly uses the bubble universes concept in combination with the dangerous environment to gift us with some of the most imaginative places we can see depicted in the genre, putting the focus on the sensorial experience. Her prose is really evocative, perfectly accompanying the perspective of our lead character, quite fitting if we take all into account.
As you could expect from this kind of proposal, the pacing is relatively fast, but still gifting some moments of introspection, to alleviate the tension while also using the opportunity to flesh the characters.
Casthen Gain is a delightful novella, an excellent dark space opera proposal perfect for those of us that were craving for a return to the Graven; a standalone that gives you a taste of what Hansen is able to do, showing a glimpse of her imaginative worldbuilding and her evocative prose. Always an Essa Hansen fan!
October 15, 2025
4.5 stars What a fascinating and unique setting! Unlike anything else I’ve read.
July 28, 2025
Very much to my surprise, I received an ARC of this novella through the Broken Binding scifi subscription box... Casthen ID number 66 👀
My rating: 4.5/5 rounded up - really enjoyed this story!
I must admit to not having read the original trilogy (I will almost certainly be dipping in now), but that did not mar my experience. The story was well paced, a great mix of interesting action sequences, scenes delving into the nature of the multiverse, and quieter discussions and contemplation. Again, not having background knowledge of the original trilogy did not hamper me going into this; the environment was clearly and beautifully described - as easy to comprehend has multiversal science can be!
My only real qualm with this was some of the character dialogue and interactions felt a little cheesy/rushed, though I put this down to the story being a novella - the relationships could have done with more time on page to make us feel and understand why they are developing, but I appreciate that this isn't entire possible in a shorter story format.
Everything else, fantastic - the creatures, the weapons, the clever uses of science and cooking to overcome the story problems... this is the type of book that really scratches that itch for me.
would definitely recommend (and thanks for the ARC, really appreciated!)
My rating: 4.5/5 rounded up - really enjoyed this story!
I must admit to not having read the original trilogy (I will almost certainly be dipping in now), but that did not mar my experience. The story was well paced, a great mix of interesting action sequences, scenes delving into the nature of the multiverse, and quieter discussions and contemplation. Again, not having background knowledge of the original trilogy did not hamper me going into this; the environment was clearly and beautifully described - as easy to comprehend has multiversal science can be!
My only real qualm with this was some of the character dialogue and interactions felt a little cheesy/rushed, though I put this down to the story being a novella - the relationships could have done with more time on page to make us feel and understand why they are developing, but I appreciate that this isn't entire possible in a shorter story format.
Everything else, fantastic - the creatures, the weapons, the clever uses of science and cooking to overcome the story problems... this is the type of book that really scratches that itch for me.
would definitely recommend (and thanks for the ARC, really appreciated!)
Read
June 3, 2025Calling it now: Sentace, Chiidi, and Evi are THE characters of 2025. Relationships make or break a story, and some truly great ones lie at the core of this book. Hansen perfectly balances high-octane adventure with rich character work, and this prequel novella’s got one of the most creative worlds I’ve seen in any medium. Perfect for fans of hypercompetent badasses who team up with adorable rays of sunshine, Casthen Gain is an absolute blast.
July 31, 2025
4.5 stars
Thanks to the Author and the Editor. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
This is a story set in The Graven universe, but it’s a standalone. So you can read it whenever you start to miss this amazing universe, or you can use it as an entry point to the main series.
(Ignoring this series is not an option here; if you enjoy sci-fi, you need to read this one.)
I think that the synopsis is a tad misleading (not in the worst way, and I understand that it is a pretty short one, and it’s a hard balance to say enough to make you curious but not enough to spoil things), but the battle royale part is not so central to the whole. It’s there, it’s not that we don’t have that part, but it seems more central to the story, and instead it was more a frame for the whole thing, than a part central to it.
But I guess that this is my only complaint, minor as it is.
Because for the rest… I loved everything!
I had expectations for this one, because I loved the main trilogy. Or, to be honest, I loved the first two books, and I also loved the third one, but I had DNFed it, at least for the moment, even if maybe one day I will go back and re-read the whole thing because of a really stupid reason: it’s too sciency. I am not a science girl (and yes, I still love sci-fi), but my brain shut down when things become too science-heavy, and the third one is quite heavy in that department. However, this is also one of the strong features of this series, because we have a universe that is rich and diverse (really rich and diverse), and the science of it it’s a thing of beauty. It really is! But my brain was constantly in la-la land. But that’s on me, because the series is glorious!
Anyway, as I was saying, I had expectations. And, to be honest, I thought that this would have been a problem. But… nope!! It was a great read, from the start to the end!
As I said in the long ramble above, one of the strongest features of this series is the world-building. It is so rich and diverse, it’s full of so many different life forms and places and things, we have mini-universes that exist on planets (how cool is that??) and technology that is soooo advanced it’s hard to picture. It is amazing, and we have all that in this story too!
I was a tad worried because the story is quite short, and packing all these marvels is not easy, but the author did an amazing job with it. She gifts us a book full of wonders, all the same! There are so many amazing things to explore! And the different and alien life forms we meet!
And do you know which is another really strong feature of the main series? The characters!! If you aren’t sold on the world-building thing (it’s a thing of beauty!!), and you need a little push, well, say no more! The trilogy has some of the best characters ever. And… you know what? This story has them, too!
Sentace is a chef. And he will cook some delicious dishes (with the strangest ingredients), so be warned, do not read it if you are hungry, because… this won’t go well. You will be famished, and you will swear you can smell the tantalizing smell of his cooking. So yeah, maybe do not read while you are hungry. Wait to have something in your belly before going in.
But back to Sentace, he is not only a chef, he has a really interesting quality, because he can analyze the universes (thanks to some brilliant thinking and some even more brilliant tech… or maybe it’s the other way around, I cannot decide if I am more impressed by the thinking or the tech here!) and he can do some brilliant things with them.
He is uncannily apt at surviving because he is brilliant. The ways he can use the resources at his disposal to create new things (usually dishes, sure, but that’s not all) and to survive unexpected situations is pure genius. Saying he is resourceful would be diminishing his abilities.
I was in constant awe of him!
And he is not alone in this adventure. We have some other characters that are memorable, because the book won’t be the same without Evie and Chiidi. They add new dynamics to the story, and they are just amazing on their own, too.
So yeah, I had so much fun with this one, and I was amazed by the author’s ingenuity and creativity. Sure, I wanted a bit more, but that’s expected! So, to be really short about it all, go and read it. Now!!!
Thanks to the Author and the Editor. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
This is a story set in The Graven universe, but it’s a standalone. So you can read it whenever you start to miss this amazing universe, or you can use it as an entry point to the main series.
(Ignoring this series is not an option here; if you enjoy sci-fi, you need to read this one.)
I think that the synopsis is a tad misleading (not in the worst way, and I understand that it is a pretty short one, and it’s a hard balance to say enough to make you curious but not enough to spoil things), but the battle royale part is not so central to the whole. It’s there, it’s not that we don’t have that part, but it seems more central to the story, and instead it was more a frame for the whole thing, than a part central to it.
But I guess that this is my only complaint, minor as it is.
Because for the rest… I loved everything!
I had expectations for this one, because I loved the main trilogy. Or, to be honest, I loved the first two books, and I also loved the third one, but I had DNFed it, at least for the moment, even if maybe one day I will go back and re-read the whole thing because of a really stupid reason: it’s too sciency. I am not a science girl (and yes, I still love sci-fi), but my brain shut down when things become too science-heavy, and the third one is quite heavy in that department. However, this is also one of the strong features of this series, because we have a universe that is rich and diverse (really rich and diverse), and the science of it it’s a thing of beauty. It really is! But my brain was constantly in la-la land. But that’s on me, because the series is glorious!
Anyway, as I was saying, I had expectations. And, to be honest, I thought that this would have been a problem. But… nope!! It was a great read, from the start to the end!
As I said in the long ramble above, one of the strongest features of this series is the world-building. It is so rich and diverse, it’s full of so many different life forms and places and things, we have mini-universes that exist on planets (how cool is that??) and technology that is soooo advanced it’s hard to picture. It is amazing, and we have all that in this story too!
I was a tad worried because the story is quite short, and packing all these marvels is not easy, but the author did an amazing job with it. She gifts us a book full of wonders, all the same! There are so many amazing things to explore! And the different and alien life forms we meet!
And do you know which is another really strong feature of the main series? The characters!! If you aren’t sold on the world-building thing (it’s a thing of beauty!!), and you need a little push, well, say no more! The trilogy has some of the best characters ever. And… you know what? This story has them, too!
Sentace is a chef. And he will cook some delicious dishes (with the strangest ingredients), so be warned, do not read it if you are hungry, because… this won’t go well. You will be famished, and you will swear you can smell the tantalizing smell of his cooking. So yeah, maybe do not read while you are hungry. Wait to have something in your belly before going in.
But back to Sentace, he is not only a chef, he has a really interesting quality, because he can analyze the universes (thanks to some brilliant thinking and some even more brilliant tech… or maybe it’s the other way around, I cannot decide if I am more impressed by the thinking or the tech here!) and he can do some brilliant things with them.
He is uncannily apt at surviving because he is brilliant. The ways he can use the resources at his disposal to create new things (usually dishes, sure, but that’s not all) and to survive unexpected situations is pure genius. Saying he is resourceful would be diminishing his abilities.
I was in constant awe of him!
And he is not alone in this adventure. We have some other characters that are memorable, because the book won’t be the same without Evie and Chiidi. They add new dynamics to the story, and they are just amazing on their own, too.
So yeah, I had so much fun with this one, and I was amazed by the author’s ingenuity and creativity. Sure, I wanted a bit more, but that’s expected! So, to be really short about it all, go and read it. Now!!!
Read
July 20, 2025Review to come on QBA
June 13, 2025
This novella is such a blast! Sure, there are a lot of spectacular fights and a multitude of universes to deal with, but what really sets this story apart is the cooking. Using the various properties of the multiverse to cook delicious meals? That is unique scifi.
August 23, 2025
Put simply YES.
As a big fan of the Graven trilogy, I was so excited to read this novella and it did not disappoint!! The alien environments are back with even more mind-bending otherwordly biomes! This little book is packed so full of wonder! It delivers even more unique combinations of nature and technology that are so iconic to the trilogy. The fast-paced action is balanced with little mundane moments of quiet intimacy with a new ragtag bunch of found family that captures the emotional heart of the story (The squid in a jar, I am obsessed with). Not to mention Essa Hansen's prose continues to be a masterpiece of sensory experience.
I absolutely loved getting back into the world of the Graven. This time, it's from the perspective of those who live towards the edges of the multiverse, which offers the reader a perspective that's strikingly different from the trilogy. It's especially fun when we get to hear of the rumours and hearsay of the larger than life organisations at play within the Graven trilogy. Readers of the trilogy will be familiar with them, but the characters in the novella are not, which leads to fact and fiction of the secret going-ons becoming comedically skewed (I laughed)
And of course, FOOD. It's absolutely one my favourite parts of this whole book!! Having a chef assassin as the main character made for such a unqiue experience, and the food descriptions are literally to die for. 100% would get captured by the Casthen and sentenced to the battle royale just for a taste. Be prepared to have your mouthwatering.
There are also bonus easter eggs for those who have read the trilogy which I of course screamed about. You don't need to have read the trilogy to read this standalone novella, but you should because it's all really good !!!!!!!!
As a big fan of the Graven trilogy, I was so excited to read this novella and it did not disappoint!! The alien environments are back with even more mind-bending otherwordly biomes! This little book is packed so full of wonder! It delivers even more unique combinations of nature and technology that are so iconic to the trilogy. The fast-paced action is balanced with little mundane moments of quiet intimacy with a new ragtag bunch of found family that captures the emotional heart of the story (The squid in a jar, I am obsessed with). Not to mention Essa Hansen's prose continues to be a masterpiece of sensory experience.
I absolutely loved getting back into the world of the Graven. This time, it's from the perspective of those who live towards the edges of the multiverse, which offers the reader a perspective that's strikingly different from the trilogy. It's especially fun when we get to hear of the rumours and hearsay of the larger than life organisations at play within the Graven trilogy. Readers of the trilogy will be familiar with them, but the characters in the novella are not, which leads to fact and fiction of the secret going-ons becoming comedically skewed (I laughed)
And of course, FOOD. It's absolutely one my favourite parts of this whole book!! Having a chef assassin as the main character made for such a unqiue experience, and the food descriptions are literally to die for. 100% would get captured by the Casthen and sentenced to the battle royale just for a taste. Be prepared to have your mouthwatering.
There are also bonus easter eggs for those who have read the trilogy which I of course screamed about. You don't need to have read the trilogy to read this standalone novella, but you should because it's all really good !!!!!!!!
June 29, 2025
Casthen Gain is a cosmic smorgasbord of immersive storytelling and fiercely unique. Not unlike the author’s main character, a trailblazing culinarian, Essa Hansen serves up bold treat after bold treat, marinating all the senses, her evocative prose only matched by her unfettered worldbuilding.
Toss in unlikely, endearing friendships, bizarre yet droolworthy space food (Hansen is the only writer in the multiverse who could ever make fried wasps sound enticing), delightfully dark humor, thrilling fight sequences, pacing that must be measured in light-years, and you have a full-course, Michelin Star science fantasy adventure packed into a bite-sized novella that still leaves room for dessert: a heady ending that will have original fans of The Graven Trilogy squealing, while sending a wave of new Essaverse patrons hungrily rushing to bookstores. Bon appétit!
Toss in unlikely, endearing friendships, bizarre yet droolworthy space food (Hansen is the only writer in the multiverse who could ever make fried wasps sound enticing), delightfully dark humor, thrilling fight sequences, pacing that must be measured in light-years, and you have a full-course, Michelin Star science fantasy adventure packed into a bite-sized novella that still leaves room for dessert: a heady ending that will have original fans of The Graven Trilogy squealing, while sending a wave of new Essaverse patrons hungrily rushing to bookstores. Bon appétit!
July 28, 2025
This Novella is so much fun and immediately draws you in with the hunger games-style contest combined with delicious multiversal cooking. It tells a story about breaking expectations, finding freedom, and finding friendship where you would least expect it.
I'm a huge fan of the original trilogy and for any fans of the graven books there's a plethora of little easter eggs that both answer and create so many questions. I love it.
I'm a huge fan of the original trilogy and for any fans of the graven books there's a plethora of little easter eggs that both answer and create so many questions. I love it.
Want to read
October 18, 2025Less than 150pgs and well recommended via UNIQUENESS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xd1Q1...
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