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Shadow Veil: Breaking The Chains
Not yet published
Expected 27 Jun 26They told her she was the reason a world burned.
They never asked who struck the match.
Helen of Troy is remembered as a face, a prize, a myth shaped by men and gods alike. But when death delivers her to the Underworld, the stories fall away—and what remains is a woman stripped of beauty’s protection, forced to confront the truth buried beneath legend.
In a realm ruled by memory, silence, and ancient laws older than Olympus itself, Helen is offered mercy in the form of forgetting. Oblivion. Peace. Erasure.
She refuses.
As Persephone watches from her throne, Hades weighs her defiance, and Hecate whispers truths the gods would rather stay buried, Helen must walk the rivers that unmake souls and decide what she is willing to lose to become whole. Every step peels back another about love, about destiny, about the cost of being chosen without consent.
This is not a redemption story.
It is a reckoning.
Shadow Breaking the Chains is a mythic reimagining for readers who are tired of women being reduced to symbols, prizes, or warnings. It is a story about memory as power, silence as violence, and the dangerous truth of choosing yourself in a world that profits from your suffering.
She was never meant to be remembered this way.
And that is precisely why she will be impossible to erase.
They never asked who struck the match.
Helen of Troy is remembered as a face, a prize, a myth shaped by men and gods alike. But when death delivers her to the Underworld, the stories fall away—and what remains is a woman stripped of beauty’s protection, forced to confront the truth buried beneath legend.
In a realm ruled by memory, silence, and ancient laws older than Olympus itself, Helen is offered mercy in the form of forgetting. Oblivion. Peace. Erasure.
She refuses.
As Persephone watches from her throne, Hades weighs her defiance, and Hecate whispers truths the gods would rather stay buried, Helen must walk the rivers that unmake souls and decide what she is willing to lose to become whole. Every step peels back another about love, about destiny, about the cost of being chosen without consent.
This is not a redemption story.
It is a reckoning.
Shadow Breaking the Chains is a mythic reimagining for readers who are tired of women being reduced to symbols, prizes, or warnings. It is a story about memory as power, silence as violence, and the dangerous truth of choosing yourself in a world that profits from your suffering.
She was never meant to be remembered this way.
And that is precisely why she will be impossible to erase.
264 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication June 27, 2026
About the author
Shavonne Bulmer
22 books27 followersShavonne Bulmer is an author whose remarkable journey inspires her storytelling. At a pivotal moment in her life, she courageously walked out of an abusive relationship when she was 34 weeks pregnant, demonstrating immense strength and resilience. Her experiences have fueled her passion for writing, which she employs to craft books with profound underlying messages for society.
Shavonne, through her writing, aims to be a catalyst for positive change. She firmly believes that literature has the power to transform, offering hope, encouragement, and raising awareness on crucial issues. Her books are not just stories; they are instruments of change, sparking conversations, fostering empathy, and promoting understanding.
Shavonne Bulmer's commitment to her craft and her mission to influence society is evident in every word she writes. With each book, she strives to uplift, inspire, and shed light on the complexities of human existence. Her narratives are an invitation for readers to embark on a journey of self-discovery, resilience, and the pursuit of a brighter future.
Shavonne has a great passion for promoting independent authors. It has started a small business called Unbox Africa that supports small businesses and local independent authors in South Africa internationally.
If you would like to follow her on social media:
Instagram: @ShavonneBulmerAuthor
TikTok: @ShavonneBulmerAuthor
Threads: @ShavonneBulmerAuthor
Facebook Page: @ShavonneBulmerAuthor
Shavonne, through her writing, aims to be a catalyst for positive change. She firmly believes that literature has the power to transform, offering hope, encouragement, and raising awareness on crucial issues. Her books are not just stories; they are instruments of change, sparking conversations, fostering empathy, and promoting understanding.
Shavonne Bulmer's commitment to her craft and her mission to influence society is evident in every word she writes. With each book, she strives to uplift, inspire, and shed light on the complexities of human existence. Her narratives are an invitation for readers to embark on a journey of self-discovery, resilience, and the pursuit of a brighter future.
Shavonne has a great passion for promoting independent authors. It has started a small business called Unbox Africa that supports small businesses and local independent authors in South Africa internationally.
If you would like to follow her on social media:
Instagram: @ShavonneBulmerAuthor
TikTok: @ShavonneBulmerAuthor
Threads: @ShavonneBulmerAuthor
Facebook Page: @ShavonneBulmerAuthor
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Author
This book I read in tandem with Fire Forged, as the author recommended and it definitely enhanced my reading pleasure! Different perspectives, same story, just more! Going from one book, through the eyes of Theron, into another equally complex tale, Helen's journey to self discovery, where Persephone and Hadas rule, where Helen ends up and where Hecate aptly says, “For too long, others have chosen for her—men, gods, bards. Let her decide who she is when all the noise falls away.” So Helen traverses the underworld, facing the many dangers, facing herself, shaping herself. All she ever wanted, from Olympus, from the gods, from everyone, “I wanted someone to see me.”, simple words, yet massively powerful. The prose strikes deep, vividly, we get to witness the evolution of a tragic figure who discovers herself. With the help of Persephone, Hades and Hecate, Helen's eyes are opened, the truth settles like a shroud and she embraces it. "Helen walked on. Not as a prize. Not as a pawn. Not as the spark that lit a war. But as a truth the gods could not erase. As someone becoming aware of herself, "struck by truths, learning truths, accepting truths, and ultimately, herself. Where she learnt was was truly done to her, "the gods, my own kin, made me into a prophecy. Into a weapon. I was not born. I was—assigned.” The pride of one goddess cost so many, so much.
A very powerfully emotional read. In one scene, where Helen looks into the mirror crafted by Hephaestus, I was almost in physical pain. What this story highlights, to me, is how women are perceived, through the ages, through history, how women were treated, seen as trophies, coveted, used and discarded by men, whether they were god or mortal, women are "lesser", women "obey", women have no say. Though this is a fictional account of a myth, it burns with a truth one cannot ignore, it's relevant in today's world as much as it is or was in mythology. That is the tragedy that befalls many women. This story speaks to hope, to courage, to changing perceptions, to gaining control. This is a story of the right to choose, the right to be.
This author's unique style of writing, was almost conversationally penned, the events dramatic, yet seemingly as a bystander, unemotionally conveying a very emotionally charged tale. Her usage of prose was ingeniously crafted, her usage of "not in...., but in..." sentences, added a new dimension to storytelling, unusual and potent. An example of how easily dramatic text manipulation can be, "The net fell, not with force, not with spectacle, but with certainty". This quote hits the spot, the crux of the writing, "The words did not strike. They settled. Too clean." And they did, clearly, cleanly, to maximum effect. Ms Bulmer has taken a well known story, a myth, a tragedy, and breathed new life into it. She's made it uniquely her own, given the reader a taste of omnipotent, all important, self serving gods. A glimpse into a past that was violent, a glimpse into a past where women were items, possessions. And it all relates to the modern world. There is so many truth in these words Ms Bulmer penned, I'm failing to capture it all. This author is incredible in her diversity, her storytelling, her knowledge of the ancients. This was truly a remarkable tale. This is literally genius, different, unique, colours of every shade, written with unimaginable depth. As for the ending, just stunning! Unexpected yet incredibly beautiful and satisfying. A well deserved reckoning, exposing truths and misplaced pride, and the consequences none wanted, but, “Justice is acknowledgment. It is naming the wound so it can no longer rot unseen.”
A very powerfully emotional read. In one scene, where Helen looks into the mirror crafted by Hephaestus, I was almost in physical pain. What this story highlights, to me, is how women are perceived, through the ages, through history, how women were treated, seen as trophies, coveted, used and discarded by men, whether they were god or mortal, women are "lesser", women "obey", women have no say. Though this is a fictional account of a myth, it burns with a truth one cannot ignore, it's relevant in today's world as much as it is or was in mythology. That is the tragedy that befalls many women. This story speaks to hope, to courage, to changing perceptions, to gaining control. This is a story of the right to choose, the right to be.
This author's unique style of writing, was almost conversationally penned, the events dramatic, yet seemingly as a bystander, unemotionally conveying a very emotionally charged tale. Her usage of prose was ingeniously crafted, her usage of "not in...., but in..." sentences, added a new dimension to storytelling, unusual and potent. An example of how easily dramatic text manipulation can be, "The net fell, not with force, not with spectacle, but with certainty". This quote hits the spot, the crux of the writing, "The words did not strike. They settled. Too clean." And they did, clearly, cleanly, to maximum effect. Ms Bulmer has taken a well known story, a myth, a tragedy, and breathed new life into it. She's made it uniquely her own, given the reader a taste of omnipotent, all important, self serving gods. A glimpse into a past that was violent, a glimpse into a past where women were items, possessions. And it all relates to the modern world. There is so many truth in these words Ms Bulmer penned, I'm failing to capture it all. This author is incredible in her diversity, her storytelling, her knowledge of the ancients. This was truly a remarkable tale. This is literally genius, different, unique, colours of every shade, written with unimaginable depth. As for the ending, just stunning! Unexpected yet incredibly beautiful and satisfying. A well deserved reckoning, exposing truths and misplaced pride, and the consequences none wanted, but, “Justice is acknowledgment. It is naming the wound so it can no longer rot unseen.”
Review of advance copy received from Author
This was amazing, to try and erase a woman that sent thousands to their death, war was waged for her then she was almost erased. I loved out this story showed that women can't be, that we are more than just a pretty face. That even the Gods fear her name. I honestly loved this, the different perspectives the retelling but from different views, the different planes of existence. Heaven earth and hell. I loved loved loooooved it. Well done to the author for an amazing tandem write. I just know it isn't easy. Insane that this book made me feel and the reading experience wasn't hard like I thought a tandem would be! Like I said in the other books review to have the physical of this series will be so worth it!
May 22, 2026
HEPHAESTUS THROUGH HELEN OF TROY EYES VS HELEN'S TRUE VOICE IN THE UNDERWORLD. THE FALL OF TROY, RETOLD. THIS TANDEM READ IS A RAINBOW LEVEL OF GODDESS PROPORTIONS.
PERSEPHONE AND HADES IN THE UNDERWORLD, WHERE A PAWN CAN CROSS THE BOARD AND BECOME QUEEN. WHAT WILL HELEN GIVE UP TO BE ..... SHE IS A DAUGHTER OF ZEUS AFTER ALL!
HELEN MUST PASS THROUGH A LOT OF LAYERS OF TRAUMA THAT THE GODS LEFT HER WITH. BUT WILL SHE GIVE UP THE MIRROR IMAGE OF WHO SHE WAS, TO BECOME A QUEEN?
THIS IS THE TRUE STORY OF HOW THE GODS DESTROYED TROY AND THEN BLAMED HELEN. BECAUSE THEY ARE THE GODS, MORTALS MERELY FOLLOW ALONG. AND YES THE GAMES ARE HEAVY.
MY FIRST EVER TANDEM READ!
PERSEPHONE AND HADES IN THE UNDERWORLD, WHERE A PAWN CAN CROSS THE BOARD AND BECOME QUEEN. WHAT WILL HELEN GIVE UP TO BE ..... SHE IS A DAUGHTER OF ZEUS AFTER ALL!
HELEN MUST PASS THROUGH A LOT OF LAYERS OF TRAUMA THAT THE GODS LEFT HER WITH. BUT WILL SHE GIVE UP THE MIRROR IMAGE OF WHO SHE WAS, TO BECOME A QUEEN?
THIS IS THE TRUE STORY OF HOW THE GODS DESTROYED TROY AND THEN BLAMED HELEN. BECAUSE THEY ARE THE GODS, MORTALS MERELY FOLLOW ALONG. AND YES THE GAMES ARE HEAVY.
MY FIRST EVER TANDEM READ!
Review of advance copy received from Author
This was the PERFECT book to be tandem read! Helen's story, survival and trials she had to undergo in the Underworld were quite a journey to follow along. Her journey of self discovery and breaking through barriers that had been built for her was incredible. I enjoyed the setting in this book quite a lot - the misty darkness, shadows, coldness, corridors, etc. made for such a good reading experience 🌫🖤 I loved the way the characters were portrayed in this book too - Hades, Persephone and Hecate in particular were portrayed so well! I loved the overall message of this book and the ending had tears in my eyes, I did not expect it but it was beautiful 😭
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews