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Thread Cutter
Eva and Iskander feel at home for the first time.Friendship, belonging, and warmth have replaced the emptiness they once knew. But deep down, they sense the truth — nothing this perfect lasts forever… and they both know it.
Episode 2 of the Belly of Salt series.
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Belly of Salt is a science fiction series that explores the absurd price of belonging. Eva and Iskander each struggle to shield their small, brittle pieces of happiness from dangers that are far beyond their control – dangers that may include each other.
Episode 2 of the Belly of Salt series.
____________________________________________________________________________
Belly of Salt is a science fiction series that explores the absurd price of belonging. Eva and Iskander each struggle to shield their small, brittle pieces of happiness from dangers that are far beyond their control – dangers that may include each other.
131 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 7, 2025
4 people are currently reading
2 people want to read
About the author
T.S. Chalk
3 books2 followersT.S. Chalk's first paid writing gig was creating user manuals for space-borne military hardware. He spent several years writing for the US Navy and Army, content with a steady paycheck and even receiving a Department of Defense security clearance (disappointingly, he has yet to encounter a classified document that is even a little bit interesting). He has written fiction as a hobby from childhood to present day, and in his late twenties, he began work on the manuscript that would eventually become 'Belly of Salt'. More years passed and he transitioned into the glittering debauchery of corporate middle management, while also finishing work on 'Belly of Salt' and finally seeing it published for the first time in 2024.
Today, he lives in Virginia with his family and can make a pretty good chocolate creme pie – the secret is using crushed saltines for the crust.
Today, he lives in Virginia with his family and can make a pretty good chocolate creme pie – the secret is using crushed saltines for the crust.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 20, 2025
The slow build pays off big time
Thread Cutter seriously delivered. After the heavy world building in Belly of Salt, I wasn’t sure how EVA and Iskander’s stories were going to intersect, but T.S. Chalk brought them together in a way that felt natural and grounded. I appreciated the buildup, but once I hit the halfway point, the pacing just took off—I ended up reading the second half in one sitting.
This book really leans into the mech combat and military side of things. The first quarter alone is packed with mech fights, and from there the story just escalates. You can tell Chalk had a plan from the beginning, and this second book feels like the moment when everything starts locking into place. The vibe also shifted compared to Book 1. Chalk mentioned on TikTok that this series is kind of “Ukraine war meets Black Mirror,” and while I didn’t feel that much in Book 1, I absolutely got that energy in Book 2.
Character-wise, both EVA and Iskander continue to feel grounded and relatable, especially as the stakes rise and their lives start overlapping. There were also some standout visuals—like Showe’s plasma sword, which was just straight-up badass. It’s little details like that, along with the military tech and social commentary, that really sell the world.
The pacing at the beginning is a bit slow, I’ll admit. It takes its time, but once the momentum hits, it does not let up. The writing stays strong throughout, and the expansion of the universe feels intentional, not just layered on top.
Final Score: 4.5 / 5
If you liked Belly of Salt, Thread Cutter will absolutely reward your patience. More mech action, tighter pacing, and the character threads finally starting to weave together. I'm ready for Book 3.
Thread Cutter seriously delivered. After the heavy world building in Belly of Salt, I wasn’t sure how EVA and Iskander’s stories were going to intersect, but T.S. Chalk brought them together in a way that felt natural and grounded. I appreciated the buildup, but once I hit the halfway point, the pacing just took off—I ended up reading the second half in one sitting.
This book really leans into the mech combat and military side of things. The first quarter alone is packed with mech fights, and from there the story just escalates. You can tell Chalk had a plan from the beginning, and this second book feels like the moment when everything starts locking into place. The vibe also shifted compared to Book 1. Chalk mentioned on TikTok that this series is kind of “Ukraine war meets Black Mirror,” and while I didn’t feel that much in Book 1, I absolutely got that energy in Book 2.
Character-wise, both EVA and Iskander continue to feel grounded and relatable, especially as the stakes rise and their lives start overlapping. There were also some standout visuals—like Showe’s plasma sword, which was just straight-up badass. It’s little details like that, along with the military tech and social commentary, that really sell the world.
The pacing at the beginning is a bit slow, I’ll admit. It takes its time, but once the momentum hits, it does not let up. The writing stays strong throughout, and the expansion of the universe feels intentional, not just layered on top.
Final Score: 4.5 / 5
If you liked Belly of Salt, Thread Cutter will absolutely reward your patience. More mech action, tighter pacing, and the character threads finally starting to weave together. I'm ready for Book 3.
July 15, 2025
Even better than book 1. I guessed at some of the story twists, but not that big one. Chalk nails human feelings and reactions. This book answered the world building questions from book 1 with authority. Amazing.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews