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Chains of Solitude #1
A Shattered Peace
The kingdom is sleeping. The monsters are not.
An ancient enemy has returned, and Argren is bleeding. Goblins, ogres, and the undead march under the banner of a shadowy power, and the northern frontier is the first to burn.
Sir Ronigren, a cynical knight who'd rather be at the bottom of a tankard, is the only thing standing in their way. He's no chosen one, but he's all they've got.
Sabine, a girl of impossible height and a forgotten lineage, holds a power that could shatter mountains. She may be the kingdom's last hope, or the catalyst for its final doom.
Thrown together by fate, they must lead a band of outcasts on a desperate quest to awaken a forgotten magic before the world is plunged into eternal silence. But in a war fought with steel and sorcery, the deepest wounds are caused by betrayal, and the enemy is already inside the gates.
What to
A Return to the An epic fantasy saga with a vast world and high stakes.
Steel & Visceral siege warfare, magic battles, and graphic combat.
A Fellowship of From a goblin scholar to a cynical knight (and a very grumpy cat).
Ancient Long-lost magic, original races, and a world-ending threat.
An ancient enemy has returned, and Argren is bleeding. Goblins, ogres, and the undead march under the banner of a shadowy power, and the northern frontier is the first to burn.
Sir Ronigren, a cynical knight who'd rather be at the bottom of a tankard, is the only thing standing in their way. He's no chosen one, but he's all they've got.
Sabine, a girl of impossible height and a forgotten lineage, holds a power that could shatter mountains. She may be the kingdom's last hope, or the catalyst for its final doom.
Thrown together by fate, they must lead a band of outcasts on a desperate quest to awaken a forgotten magic before the world is plunged into eternal silence. But in a war fought with steel and sorcery, the deepest wounds are caused by betrayal, and the enemy is already inside the gates.
What to
A Return to the An epic fantasy saga with a vast world and high stakes.
Steel & Visceral siege warfare, magic battles, and graphic combat.
A Fellowship of From a goblin scholar to a cynical knight (and a very grumpy cat).
Ancient Long-lost magic, original races, and a world-ending threat.
- GenresFantasy
314 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 1, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
April 23, 2026
I enjoyed reading this book, and I recommend it to people who like quests.
April 4, 2026
An ambitious, atmospheric fantasy.
One of the novel’s greatest strengths is its worldbuilding. The setting feels lived-in and considered, particularly in how it handles logistics, refugees, supply lines, and the slow grind of war. These details add credibility and texture without turning into dry exposition. The K’thrall culture is especially well realised, with distinctive biology, rituals, and social structures that feel genuinely alien rather than cosmetically different. The swamps, councils, outfitting, and travel all contribute to a strong sense of place and atmosphere.
The tone is consistently dark. There is a pervasive sense of pressure and decay, both physical and moral, which suits the story well. The psychological horror elements, especially in the nightmare sequences, are effective on a scene-by-scene level, and the cult material involving the Silent Architect is unsettling in a quiet, ideological way rather than through shock tactics. That strand in particular stands out as one of the most compelling long-term threats in the book.
In terms of characters, the cast improves steadily as the novel progresses. Sabine is the emotional core of the story, and her arc, from outsider to emerging force, carries much of the book’s momentum. Her relationship with her father provides genuine emotional grounding, and her moments of strength feel earned emotionally, even when the physical escalation comes quickly. Ronigren works well as a restrained, duty-bound leader whose doubts surface gradually, and several supporting characters, including Snik, add welcome moral and thematic complexity.
That said, the novel is heavily plot-driven, sometimes at the expense of character agency. Events often happen to the characters rather than because of their decisions. Structurally, the book feels too condensed for the amount of story it contains. For a novel of this length, there is an enormous amount happening, including political intrigue, ancient powers, cult conspiracies, wars, journeys, and personal awakening.
The prose is solid throughout. It is clear, readable, and rarely distracting, which is crucial for a story this dense. While it does not aim for lyrical excess, it handles mood, tension, and action competently. Importantly, it never becomes offensively clumsy or overwrought.
In conclusion, this is a strong 4-star read for me. It is not flawless, and it does not fully capitalise on all the threads it introduces, but it is ambitious, immersive, and emotionally engaging enough that its weaknesses are easy to forgive. The story feels like the foundation of something larger, and it leaves me interested in continuing the series.
One of the novel’s greatest strengths is its worldbuilding. The setting feels lived-in and considered, particularly in how it handles logistics, refugees, supply lines, and the slow grind of war. These details add credibility and texture without turning into dry exposition. The K’thrall culture is especially well realised, with distinctive biology, rituals, and social structures that feel genuinely alien rather than cosmetically different. The swamps, councils, outfitting, and travel all contribute to a strong sense of place and atmosphere.
The tone is consistently dark. There is a pervasive sense of pressure and decay, both physical and moral, which suits the story well. The psychological horror elements, especially in the nightmare sequences, are effective on a scene-by-scene level, and the cult material involving the Silent Architect is unsettling in a quiet, ideological way rather than through shock tactics. That strand in particular stands out as one of the most compelling long-term threats in the book.
In terms of characters, the cast improves steadily as the novel progresses. Sabine is the emotional core of the story, and her arc, from outsider to emerging force, carries much of the book’s momentum. Her relationship with her father provides genuine emotional grounding, and her moments of strength feel earned emotionally, even when the physical escalation comes quickly. Ronigren works well as a restrained, duty-bound leader whose doubts surface gradually, and several supporting characters, including Snik, add welcome moral and thematic complexity.
That said, the novel is heavily plot-driven, sometimes at the expense of character agency. Events often happen to the characters rather than because of their decisions. Structurally, the book feels too condensed for the amount of story it contains. For a novel of this length, there is an enormous amount happening, including political intrigue, ancient powers, cult conspiracies, wars, journeys, and personal awakening.
The prose is solid throughout. It is clear, readable, and rarely distracting, which is crucial for a story this dense. While it does not aim for lyrical excess, it handles mood, tension, and action competently. Importantly, it never becomes offensively clumsy or overwrought.
In conclusion, this is a strong 4-star read for me. It is not flawless, and it does not fully capitalise on all the threads it introduces, but it is ambitious, immersive, and emotionally engaging enough that its weaknesses are easy to forgive. The story feels like the foundation of something larger, and it leaves me interested in continuing the series.
March 24, 2026
“A Shattered Peace” is the perfect book for fans of Lord of the Rings. There are some close aspects to them, the impending doom of a forgotten Evil returned, the formation of a fellowship to stop it and the machinations pf a powerful wizard that seems to be the only one truly aware of the danger, at least, at first. But it stops there.
This book feels much darker and puts a bigger emphasis on the sense of dread and of the encroaching darkness, which makes for an amazing feeling of accomplishment when the heroes finally overcome the difficulties and dials the sense of reality to 11 when they are stop by them.
Would say that my only gripe with it id that I wanted more of the story to come up in this one, which, in a way, is a fantastic tell of how immersive the story is and how caught in it I find myself. But the final quarter of the book felt a little sluggish, without much happening, especially in comparison with the previous events that had me on the edge of my seat. It can’t all be a rollercoaster, of course, but it clearly feels like the author was holding back on the juicy stuff to leave it for the next book. Anyway, I’m excited for the next installment, and that is the greatest achievement a book can get from me.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This book feels much darker and puts a bigger emphasis on the sense of dread and of the encroaching darkness, which makes for an amazing feeling of accomplishment when the heroes finally overcome the difficulties and dials the sense of reality to 11 when they are stop by them.
Would say that my only gripe with it id that I wanted more of the story to come up in this one, which, in a way, is a fantastic tell of how immersive the story is and how caught in it I find myself. But the final quarter of the book felt a little sluggish, without much happening, especially in comparison with the previous events that had me on the edge of my seat. It can’t all be a rollercoaster, of course, but it clearly feels like the author was holding back on the juicy stuff to leave it for the next book. Anyway, I’m excited for the next installment, and that is the greatest achievement a book can get from me.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
March 29, 2026
If you love fantasy then this is for you. This book starts out strong and keeps going. I loved the fact that it's keeps pulling you back in for more. Looking forward to the second book.
April 20, 2026
A Shattered Peace
Chains of Solitude - Book 1
by Gabriel Tesone
⭐⭐⭐⭐
ARC provided by Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op
Thank you for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
I really enjoyed this book, I went in blind so it took me by surprise how much I enjoyed reading this. The world-building was everything, this author did such a fantastic job!!
#AShatteredPeace #NetGalley
Chains of Solitude - Book 1
by Gabriel Tesone
⭐⭐⭐⭐
ARC provided by Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op
Thank you for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
I really enjoyed this book, I went in blind so it took me by surprise how much I enjoyed reading this. The world-building was everything, this author did such a fantastic job!!
#AShatteredPeace #NetGalley
July 2, 2026
I am in awe of the writer's research and attention to detail. Meticulous, painstaking study of the multiple areas involved in the story have led to a degree of thoroughness and accuracy I've rarely struck in this genre.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews