The Ninth Knell of Peace

by Shrinivas Gaikwad

Every miracle costs a memory.

The kingdom of Nihalthar has broken its promise of peace and massacred the surrendering people of Raventhal, unleashing a new chief—a void-wielding monster that consumes anything. Once feared, Raventhal is now scattered into small river towns, surviving only with Viompur’s help and the work of memory keepers—mages who trade memories for power.

Kaira wants revenge for her brother, but her curious mind also hunts for answers: the true history of the war, the goddess Kaori, and the enemy god Nihal. To chase that path, she must break free of her overprotective friend.

Sayaka, a blessed memory keeper, doesn’t want to kill; she wants to heal and protect the people she loves. But every life she saves takes something from her, and the Yujis tighten their leash. In a war that feeds on power, do the powerful ever get to choose peace?

Shin, a middle-aged Nihalthar veteran, wants only to disappear. His mind is devouring itself—intrusive visions replay the horrors he inflicted until even sleep isn’t safe. He plans to end his life—until a lost girl appears at his door. Protecting her drags him back into a war he tried to leave, and buried memories begin to unravel.

As the void spreads and old oaths fail, their choices will decide who survives—and what each is willing to pay.

First published January 16, 2026

About the author

Shrinivas Gaikwad, born in 2000, is an Indian fantasy writer still trying to find his footing in the world of self-publishing while balancing a full-time career as a software engineer. He hopes to complete this trilogy someday—and maybe, just maybe, earn the right to drop the word unavailing from his self-assigned pseudonym.

When he isn’t writing or working, he’s usually trying to stay fit or experimenting with musical instruments like the kalimba, violin, and whatever else catches his attention. More often than not, though, he ends up scrolling through YouTube, trying to decide what to watch next—and yes, that counts as a hobby now.

Reviews

[Stefanie Verhelst · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book in the Divine Grief series. In every first book of such an epic story, there is a huge part of world building necessary. This is not different in this book. The author carefully build his imaginary world up, with cinematic precision! I was in awe with the images that he brought up in my mind.

The story has several storylines, that are neatly woven together in the 2nd part of the book.

The characters come alive through the authors words, it’s like you follow their journey through their eyes.

The story fully comes to life in the 2nd part, by that time I was so engaged that I couldn’t put the book down!

What comes next, looks very promising!.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Bookish Coffee UK · Rating 5 out of 5]

This books storyline is absolutely epic in so many ways I'm finding it hard to write a review that won't ruin the reading experience for anyone who's not yet read it.. Well all I can say is that if your ummming and arrriing then just do it! read this beautifully created story - you can thank me later..

It's literally epic on so many levels, the world building is just so creative and well explained that one's mind just instantly gets teleportated into the world. the characters are just brilliant in their own personalities and qwerkiness. I felt like I was truly with them on this journey. the story and plot was so immense that I struggled to put this down until I had completely devoured it and then got upset with myself for finishing it. lol.

I'm going to be keeping both eyes on this author for more golden gems!

[Chaos · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was struggling for the first half of the book. The world building and character pov dragged on for what seems like forever. While eventually the story picked up, it was a but of a slog. Was there a reason for it? Yes absolutely especially with the ending battle and the major plot twist!! This book is wonderfully written and quite intense. The author puts the characters through their faces and tortures me the reader 🤣

After the second half, I finished it in less than 2 hours. I could not and would not put the book down. I was completely addicted. By the end of the story, everything hit its stride and the writing, world building, and characters melded perfectly. The cliffhanger was a doozy but it made me salivate for book 2. I really hope there is another book

[Krisztina Fodor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Firstly, I would like to thank the author for giving me the opportunity to read this story before release day for an honest review.
Where should I start without giving to many spoilers away?
This is a story about lost friendships, betrayal, elemental magic using your memories, fighting magical beasts, and fighting for a common cause: freedom.

The story is running from 3 different POVs, that comes together at the end the of the book with the biggest plot twist I have ever read; my jaw was literally on the floor.

I did have suspicion regarding one of the main characters, but I've pushed it in the back of my mind, although I should have listened to my hunch as that was the plot twist.

There is an epic battle at the end and the story leaves you with a cliffhanger, so I am hoping for a 2nd book.

I would like to see more world & character building in the next book, but all in all I really enjoy it and well done for the author for a 1st release.

Please note, this is pure fantasy with some high stakes, so if you're a romantasy lover, this will not be for you.

[Yinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

An in depth, vibrant fantasy adventure that's incredibly detailed and not shy of the gritty and gore. As a reader, you will not be disappointed and will be absorbed by the scene and atmosphere of the world: the violence is dark and you will immediately get the sense that no one is spared and just how serious the situation is. The magic system is interesting and I like the idea of sacrificing some memories to use powers: it's very unique.
I definitely recommend this read for lovers of an intense fantasy with a rich storyline that'll have you glued to the pages and gasps at the many twists and turns.

thank you to Shrinivas Gaikwad for the ARC and I voluntarily give my review.

[Rubab Atwal · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing and gripping read! The magic system is dark, well-defined, and refreshingly grounded, where power feels dangerous, limited, and deeply costly. Its rules and consequences add constant tension and reinforce the grim tone of the world. The characters are emotionally rich and easy to connect with, especially as their relationships are strained and reshaped by war, trauma, and loss.

Thank you to the author for sharing the ARC copy!

[Meihan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I rated this a 3.5

It's a decent read. The first half was a bit slow for me and started to pick up in the middle where things start to happen. The pacing is a bit off mostly cause of the different povs for me, but not too bad.

The memory based magic was unique and interesting. The world building was decent for a high fantasy read. I would like a bit more character depth. Only critic, is mostly pacing wise for one certain part once readers get to it. I wanted to be in that moment more.

The twist actually got me which made all the sense once it came together.

[Candace Choy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was stellar writing with captivating characters and beautiful imagery. I am often reading right before I fall asleep but this one just kept me wide awake. Read this one for some really great story telling.

[Vanshika Medi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read The Ninth Knell of Peace as an ARC reader and really enjoyed it. The world-building is detailed without feeling overwhelming, and with every chapter the story becomes more vivid. One of the strongest parts of this book is its characters—Sayaka and Kaira, who are strong, determined young women facing a world that constantly works against them, and it was inspiring to watch them push forward.

Initially, especially in Part 1, the story felt a bit slow because of everything the characters were going through and the amount of world-building involved. However, that only pushed me to keep reading, hoping that justice would be delivered to those who were wronged—and I’m happy to say I wasn’t disappointed. From Part 2 onwards, the character journeys deepen, the plot twists pick up, and I honestly couldn’t put the book down. I ended up finishing it in a single day, and the time spent on building the world definitely felt worth it.

I also really appreciated the writing style itself. It’s simple yet crisp, and it fits each section of the book well. The action scenes are written beautifully—I could clearly visualize the setting, the fights, and everything unfolding. The emotions of the characters are handled with a lot of care, and it’s obvious that genuine thought went into writing them.

I especially liked how the different storylines come together so smoothly. The magic system felt fresh, different and interesting, and it definitely made me want to know more. Most of all, this book made me care about the characters, no matter how big or small their roles were. It’s not easy for a story to evoke genuine emotion, but this one does. I’d definitely recommend it to fantasy lovers looking for an engaging and heartfelt read.

[Lucy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Firstly, thank you to Shrinivas Gaikwad for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I firstly want to say the premise of this story is fantastic. I enjoyed the world, and the depth of the magic system. I also enjoyed the multiple points for view, and how the various storylines tied together. It created an immersive world which I continued to want to be in.

However, I really struggled with the writing style and the slight lack of depth of the characters. I found myself pulled out of the world due to the style of writing, and struggled in sections where characters didn't have enough depth to pull the story through.

I am sad that this book didn't live up to my expectations, as the story and themes are fantastic.