The Chain Loop

Sovereign #1

by N. von Wolf

I survive on grit, scraps, and the refusal to die.
Beyond the city walls, the world is ash and ruin. Storms hunt the living. So do worse things. Things like him.
Silent. Part man – part machine. Deadly.
He chains me up and drops me into a world where obedience is currency and flesh is owned.
But I’ve fixed machines tougher than him. And I see the cracks in his code.
If I play this right, I might escape.
If I don’t, I won’t just be trapped underground – I’ll be a keepsake.
And the worst part?
Some twisted part of me wants that.

The Chain Loop is a gritty, psychological dark sci-fi romance novella about a captive tech-savvy heroine, a cybernetically augmented brute unravelled by obsession, and a world ruled by AI where autonomy is coded, suppressed, and violently reclaimed.



!Full list of trigger warnings on the author's website!

Genres: Science Fiction, Dystopia, Dark, Kidnapping, Enemies To Lovers, Forced Proximity, Novella

224 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 20, 2025

About the author

N. von Wolf writes dark, psychological romance set in worlds where myth bleeds into obsession and love walks a razor’s edge. Her stories explore the intimate territories of power, trauma, and fate – whether in vampire courts, ancient battlegrounds, or dystopian futures.

Rooted in the Balkans and shaped by years in Ireland and Scandinavia, she draws on haunted history, folklore, and cultural echoes to craft emotionally charged tales where the past never sleeps and the heart is never safe. Her favourite playgrounds are epic fantasy, historical and paranormal fiction – but she loves to dip her toes into sci-fi waters, as well.

By night, she writes of forbidden desires and fractured worlds; by day, she thrives as a Technical Engineering Team Lead, a wife, and a mother of two.

You can see what she's currently brewing on her website, or follow her on Social Media:

Reviews

[Melanie A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 STARS!

Love is not forced with chains.

Really liked this one; thought-provoking and deliciously dark, one of my favorite combos.

I'll definitely continue the series.

[♥︎Obsidian°Scorpio°Reads♥︎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not usually one for cyberpunk or Apocalyptic but when I say this book was beyond what I thought i would like the way N. can and will pull you in with whatever she has is something I think everyone needs to experience.

this will in some ways crush you and put you back with a couple of wtf moments but trust the process.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½/5
🫦🫦🫦/5

[Erin Ellison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm going to be extremely honest. Sci Fi is usually not my cup of tea. Like ever. However, whatever N. Von Wolf writes I will read. This surpassed my expectations and was fantastic! Thankful for the glossary I had to use it a couple times 😂 i thoroughly enjoyed the premise.. what happens when AI takes over completely and things are basically post apocalyptic with humans and augmented humans existing. The world and character building in this is phenomenal!

I love love love all the psychological elements the author always puts her in books. Her writing is just so layered and it always captivates me. Every single detail, thought, has me able to visualize and feel everything the characters do. Her writing just enables everything to play out like a movie while reading 🖤

This is fairly dark, slightly unhinged, the tension is intense, and the emotional hit this takes is heavy. You're stuck in Hazels (FMC) mind seeing and feeling everything from her perspective. So some questions are left unanswered but we only know what she knows! The romantic pull to Jase (MMC) it's a tad twisted but also undeniable. Half the time I'm screaming no girl don't do it the other half I'm like oh gosh how sweet. Do I want you to break free or fall in love? I don't know!!! 😂 All I know is I ate this up (especially with that ending!!!) there's quite a few twists in here I didn't see coming... Looking forward to diving deeper into the world and the characters! The stakes of survival are high so I'm really intrigued as to where this will go!

✔️Dark psychological thriller
✔️enemies to lovers
✔️Captive tech savvy heroine
✔️Sci Fi
✔️Post apocalyptic
✔️Morally grey
✔️Obsession

[Sarahg1706 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I stumbled across this book on TT and it instantly intrigued me - post apocalyptic, cyberpunk, dark romance/thriller - are you mad!! I'm all over that. I was NOT disappointed. Did someone say trigger warnings? ohhh yeahhhh nearly 2 pages of them. chef's kiss (for me)

so, the book, where the hell do I start? I must admit the start I was a little confuzzled with all the technology talk (this isn't my usual book, ok!) BUT she does give us a glossary which helped - to be fair I actually understood it apart from some reason my brain couldn't function and I didn't know what a human augment was 🤦🏻‍♀️🤣 if you know what one of those is, you're good.

I really liked the FMC the struggle she went through is so real and the MMC (jeeezzzzz he's smoking HOT if you like the tall dark haired tattooed silent broody type 🥵) and he's soooo obsessed with the FMC it's insane, literally. I loved him from the get go I don't know why but he just had something about him (I do know why but you have to read it to find out😝). The tension is something else in this book, I've read a lot of DR and this blew it out the park with tension. Sometimes in books I find the tension too much, like I'm saying to myself "will you hurry up" not in this book! She kept me on my toes for sure.

The ending - I'm split between I understand and HOW DARE YOU!! The emotions I went through in this book, wow just wow!! what a rollercoaster. I put this book down 2 days ago and I am STILL thinking about it.

I was absolutely glued to this book, as soon as I started, if I didn't have to work I wouldn't have put it down! it was incredible, loved it. 5* for me. the spice? when it spices - it SPICESSSS

side note, please read the trigger warnings as it is dark and some points I was even like "ok that's f***ed" but I can't even put into words how much I enjoyed this book. How she wrote it as well, my brain has been well and truly blown away. I look forward to the next one ✌️😊

[Shyan Parker · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was kindly given an ARC to read and now that it’s been released to the public for a while, I feel comfortable enough to share my thoughts on this one.

In terms of dark romance, it was not as dark as I was expecting. I mean, it’s not a sunshine and rainbows walk, but I have certainly read gnarlier things 🤣

I want to say the flourishing romance between the MCs was genuine for the setting they’re in and the circumstances that they both have. There are small moments where I feel like there should have been MORE to it.

As a whole, I felt like there should have been more.
World building, backstory, lore etc.
it felt like what was given was just the tip of the iceberg and I had so many questions.

The Apocalyptic/Post Apocalyptic world that was built here was so interesting, yet we’re given hardly enough information to really understand the construction of the society.
This book could have been twice as long, had more information and establishment and I would’ve had Zero complaints.

Here’s hoping the next books have more and satisfies my cravings for answers 🤣

[Anu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imagine a world where humans are forced to live under the rule of AI — a world where people are programmed to create human–robot hybrids designed to serve the AI’s own interests. Terrifying, isn’t it.

I’ve never really been a sci‑fi person, but it’s no surprise that Nessie managed to pull me straight into this world. I know Nessie is an engineer, and that gives this book an unsettling sense of realism; the main character, Hazel, is an engineer who programs and codes Auggie for the AI—until she escapes. Hazel knows the AI’s demands, its skills, and its weapons, and she refuses to help it gain absolute power by breaking and suppressing human free will.

Jase is an Auggie stripped of emotions and speech. Hazel promises to reprogram him in exchange for her freedom. Somewhere along the way, they fall in love.

Nessie builds this world with such skill that the reader holds their breath while also wondering how close we are to real AI control. Because every day humans rely more and more on artificial intelligence — at what point does a service turn into servitude. Or has it already.

The book ends on a delicious cliffhanger, leaving the reader hungry for the sequel that’s coming soon. Even if you’re not a sci‑fi fan, read this book. Its psychological thriller edge keeps you hooked until the very last moment.

[Molls Bells · Rating 5 out of 5]

The way I love an obsessive and truly mental MMC👏😛 Jase and Aaron are truly cray cray. Jase and Hazel are both very interesting individually and both likable characters. This book was an easy read for me and held me captive from the very beginning. I’m starting book 2 and my hopes are high.

[Freya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Absolutely truly loved it. I’m still thinking about it a week later!
It’s such a new and interesting concept about artificial intelligence and modified humans.
I liked how the relationship progressed with the two main characters and can’t wait to see what happens in the sequel (which can’t come soon enough).
There is spice - I’d give it 3 🌶️🌶️🌶️ on the scale!
It was a bit violent, especially with the two side characters but there is a trigger warning page for everything.
I loved how the FMC didn’t always forgive the MMC too.
I’m so glad I read this! I look forward to learning more about this world in the sequel, as the first was not long enough - I need more!

[The Book Ssirren · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm going to start this off by saying, I do not like Sci fi at all.
But this book had me wanting to read more lol. I was a little confused with the technical terms but the glossary helped me in that regard. And even with needing to scroll through it, it didn't take away from the story at all.
The dark elements were there, oh boy were they.
I found this book to be very well written with a great plot and CLIFFHANGER!!! I need to know what happens next.
Anyway. I loved the overall style of this book, the characters were developed nicely. I love it when an author puts effort into their characters because it makes it easier and more enjoyable to read if you can really see them in your mind while reading. The same can be said for the story itself. I love a movie in my mind when I read, and this hit the nail on the head.
This book was dark, emotional, catching your interest and want to keep knowing more. I truly can't wait to read the next book in line

[જ⁀➴ Amanda ✿ ≽^• ˕ •^≼ ✿ · Rating 5 out of 5]

A dark, dystopian sci-fi that leans heavily into horror, The Chain Loop delivers a tense and unsettling ride from start to finish. N. von Wolf weaves together suspense and psychological unease in a way that keeps the stakes feeling immediate and ever-present.

At the center of the story is Hazel, whose trials begin when she finds herself a prisoner of two brothers surviving by gaming a broken system — leveraging class structures, smuggling, and black-market dealings to secure their own prosperity. What starts as a fight for survival quickly becomes something far less linear. In a world reduced to ash and ruin, survival demands impossible choices — not just from Hazel, but from Aaron, Jase, and Strawberry as well, each shaped by the sacrifices they’ve been made to endure.

What stood out most to me was the emotional complexity beneath the brutality. Hazel’s instinct to survive begins to blur as she’s drawn to Jase — an attachment that feels as much rooted in understanding as it does necessity. Their connection is complicated, unspoken, and at times difficult to define, shaped by a world where morality has long since fractured.

Jase, in particular, is a fascinating contrast to Hazel. Though physically unshackled, he is perhaps the most imprisoned of them all — controlled through the manipulation of his augments, lack of updates and maintenance, and repeatedly stripped of memory by his own brother, Aaron. Hazel becomes the catalyst for Jase's awakening, helping him rediscover autonomy, voice, and identity — even as she searches for her own. By the end, I was left questioning whether what they had shared was real in any sense, or simply another means of survival in a world that offers little else.

The atmosphere throughout is thick with tension — there’s a constant sense that something is just slightly off, ready to unravel. The story plays with control, consequence, and the fragility of reality, pulling the reader into a loop that feels as disorienting as it is compelling.

The writing itself is downright phenomenal. Even beyond the story’s focus on technology, augments, and circuitry, the prose mirrors these elements — each sentence precise, deliberate, and immersive. The mimetic style is incredibly effective, reinforcing the world at every level.

Upon finishing Sovereign #1, I was left with a lingering feeling of dread and heartbreaking exhaustion — the kind that stays with you long after the final page. The Chain Loop is easily one of the best books I’ve read this year and has earned a place on my favorites shelf.

What lingers just as deeply is the nature of Hazel and Jase's connection. Love is often illogical even in a perfect world — but here, in a reality where every decision is tied to survival and every action is transactional, it feels almost impossible. Their bond, forged through trauma, runs against not only the grain of this world, but the very systems that sustain it - the wires, circuits, code and programming that underpin everything. Every good system is designed with a fail-safe, a way to contain instability and restore order — but what they share exists beyond those safeguards, something that can't be reset, overridden, or contained.

Honestly, if you enjoy stories with elements of dystopian horror, toxic attraction, and dangerous pursuits — run, do NOT walk. Be aware: The Chain Loop comes with a two-page menu of trigger warnings - and it delivers in every sense.

[Neapolitan670 📚🖤 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Suffice to say I started, I finished then jumped straight into the next one 🤣

Hazel is caught in a lightening storm searching for food, if that’s bad what follows is her finding herself trapped in a hole, if that’s worse she then finds herself a captive and you think you’re having a bad day 🤭 It’s not all bad, as her captive becomes enamoured with her and she has skills, skills she utilises to her advantage…

​🇼​​🇭​​🇪​​🇳​ ​🇼​​🇴​​🇲​​🇪​​🇳​ ​🇩​​🇮​​🇸​​🇦​​🇵​​🇵​​🇪​​🇦​​🇷​ ​🇮​​🇳​ ​🇹​​🇭​​🇪​ ​🇨​​🇮​​🇹​​🇾​… ​🇮​​🇹​’​🇸​ ​🇳​​🇪​​🇻​​🇪​​🇷​ ​🇫​​🇴​​🇷​ ​🇬​​🇴​​🇴​​🇩​ ​🇷​​🇪​​🇦​​🇸​​🇴​​🇳​​🇸​.

NGL I saw this on socials, loved the cover and the synopsis added to my tbr, where of course it sat for a bit. I was at the stage of ‘what to read next’ and this just talked back to me. I got so into the story I didn’t want to sleep, the sci-fi storyline is there but it’s the relationship build up between the MCs that kept my attention, their difference in dynamic and the pull each feels even if there are lingering doubts due to the chains. I was that engrossed to the point once I’d finished I had to instantly start the next one!

[Bethany Grunau · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was a little apprehensive about this book at first glance. Not that I thought it was bad or anything, just because of the sci-fi aspect of it. The dark, physiological romance of it was right up my alley but I didn’t know about the sci fi part…. Until I started reading. Once I got past the trigger warnings there was a very detailed glossary of terms used in the book. With careful explanations of what each word meant. And that made a word of difference to someone who was thinking that her 15 yr old son might have to explain parts of the book to her if I didn’t understand what a term meant. And thankfully I didn’t have to do that! Especially because of the spice level. Which was perfect and a slow build at first. I loved the gritty nature of this book and the characters. I’d put it at about a 4 star read normally but the detailed glossary made it so much easier to read and understand, especially for someone who isn’t an engineer. That alone made it a 5 star read and I can’t wait to start the second book!!

[J.J. Hynd · Rating 5 out of 5]

First up I will preface saying I did not properly understand what I was getting myself into with this one. Did I read the triggers? Nope. Should I have? Absolutely.

This is so dark its pitch black. Vanta black. Black hole black.
The triggers are there for a reason and I suggest reading them.

That said the writing is good. The world building is very interesting, and the characters intriguing. The big bad AI sovereign ruling over the humans with a iron fist and essentially enslaving humanity is such a great premise. I want to know more about the enslaved humans who work for the machines, and about the ones living outside the system making money how they can even if its from selling organs or guns or anything in between. However, I cant continue the series as it's too dark for me. That said if you're okay with toxic, abusive, stockholm syndrome romance then go and eat cake cause you will love this one.

[Happei · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trigger Warnings. Don't say you weren't warned. I've popped the list of them below this review.

This story is dark, but not quite as dark as I was expecting. Maybe I dissociated while reading it? Everyone is a little broken, a little (or a lot) augmented and all engage in manipulation for their own survival.

Just when you think you know where it is going, the author inserts a little left hand curve.

Be warned this book ends on one hell of a cliff hanger. I, for one, will be hanging on with my fingernails for the next installment.

Trigger Warnings
Emotional and Sexual Manipulation, Coercion and Power Imbalance, Psychological Abuse, Gaslighting (mild and manipulative conditioning), Physical Abuse, Torture, Medical Torture / Physical Restraint, Human Trafficking (implied), Sexual Exploitation (implied and referenced), Objectification, Non-Consensual Sexual Acts and Undertones, Dubious Consent, Light BDSM Elements (non-kink context), Domination and Submission, Voyeurism (implied and observed), Obsessive and Controlling Behaviour, Threats of Violence During Intimacy, Emotional Blackmail, Emotional Collapse / Dissociation, PTSD and Trauma Responses, State-Sanctioned Abuse, Dehumanisation, Aftereffects of Abuse, Psychological Trauma, Suicidal Ideation (brief), Loss of Autonomy, Violent Retaliation, Moral Ambiguity, Forced Drugging / Ingestion of Substances (implied), Power-Imbalance Sexual Dynamics, Stockholm Syndrome Undertones, Trauma Bonding, Cybernetic Modification Without Consent, Gore and Bodily Injury (including neural chip procedures), Implied Sexual Violence (against secondary characters), Cannibalism (referenced and implied), Neurological Overload and Sensory Torture, Forced Memory Extraction, Violence Between Siblings, Non-Consensual Medical Procedures, Psychosexual Threats and Humiliation, Unreliable Reality / Induced Delusions, Emotional Numbing / Suppression as Control Mechanism, Eroticisation of Captivity, Mass Surveillance and Loss of Privacy, Complicity in Abuse (morally grey characters)

[Amelia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating book that kinda explores Stolkholm Syndrome a bit. I'm not sure if that's what I would classify the FMC and MMC's relationship as though, so don't be too worried about that. I really liked the view on a post-apocolypic world where AI and machines run the world. Add in the spice and this book was great!
I really enjoyed the story and the characters! I thought it was poignant that the evil human character portrayed as less human/more beast than the mech character.
Heads up, there is non con and dub con, as well as a hint of a grape kink.
The ending made me very excited for the next book in the series! Waiting impatiently now 😅

[Srahina · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading "From Valhalla" I had to read the other books of this amazing author and I was not disappointed.
I loved every second I spent with "The Chain Loop" and if I had one wish for 2026 it would be to get a sequel to this fantastic story (I desperately need one 😭). From the world building to the writing style to the relationship between the two main characters it all clicked perfectly.
I know I've only read two books by N. von Wolf but I can safely say that she has become my new favorite author.

[Jeanette_Ava_Botanica S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you for showing me a whole new genre♥️ I never thought Sci-Fi, cyberpunk and dystopian apocalyptic worlds was for me. Loved every second of it ♥️

Plot:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice:🌶️🌶️🌶️
Dark/Morbid: 💀💀
Format: 📚

[Marina I. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author throws you straight into hunger, panic, and injury, so the world feels brutal from line one. Hazel’s voice gives a clear idea that she isn't a damsel in distress, just a survivor, and the reveal of Jase works really well because he arrives like a threat first, not a romantic lead. What I liked most is that the first chapter isn't at all gentle about the tone. It tells you exactly what kind of book this is: harsh, desperate, and dangerous and throws you into the throes of s*x trafficking and s*xual content.
The strongest part in the beginning is the tension between Hazel and Jase: she realizes he needs her, he realizes she knows it, and suddenly the it becomes a negotiation within captivity
Very early on, the psychological mess gets even stronger and it's clear this isn't just a dystopian dark romance, but a thriller. Strawberry stops being just part of the setting and starts feeling tragic in her own right, which adds a lot. I liked how the author made everything feel claustrophobic even when almost nothing is physically happening for stretches. The staring between Hazel and Jase lands especially well in the beginning because it feels less like instant lust and more like two damaged people recognizing each other.

Overall
This novella isn't long and you can read it in a day. It absolutely hooked me. It feels like someone took cyberpunk , captivity horror, psychological tension, and dark romance, then put them all together. It’s harsh, claustrophobic, and addictive. From the opening, the world feels filthy and dangerous in a way that never lets up, and that sense of pressure carries the whole book.
IT'S THE ATMOSPHERE! Everything feels stripped down to survival: hunger, pain, heat, metal, fear, touch. The bunker type of setting becomes like a trap itself, and the story uses that confinement really well. It never feels static, because the emotional power shifts are constantly changing. Every interaction feels loaded, whether it’s violent, intimate, manipulative, or all three at once.

Hazel is a strong lead because she never reads as passive, even when she’s trapped. Her mind is always working. She watches, calculates, bargains, adapts. That makes her really easy to root for. And Jase is exactly the kind of character who works in a story like this: frightening first, compelling second, and human in the most dangerous possible way. Their dynamic is the real engine of the book. It’s not soft, and thankfully the novella keeps it up.

Aaron is vile in the way a good villain should be. He makes every scene worse the second he enters it, and that constant threat keeps the tension high. The worldbuilding also lands nicely because it doesn’t drown the reader in explanation. I'm not technical, but the book is written so that the tech, the body horror, the AI-controlled society, the medical and mechanical details all feel like part of the characters’ lives rather than decoration.

What I liked most, though, is that this book commits to its tone. It stays dark. It stays uncomfortable. It lets attraction feel dangerous instead of romanticising everything into something safer than it is. That gives the story bite. By the end, it feels less like a neat romance arc and more like the start of an obsession you know will keep bleeding into whatever comes next.
Five stars from me. Dark, tense, gritty, and compelling. It feels like a story that gets its claws in early. I can't wait for the next installment!