Shackles Of Myself

by Chika Triumph

Have you ever wondered what secrets—and trauma—hide behind the walls of affluent families?

Lyndia seems to have it all—wealth, comfort, and a life firmly under control—until the sudden death of her closest friend, Rachel, shatters her world. What begins as grief quickly unravels into something far darker, pulling her into a spiral she cannot escape.
Then comes the night that changes everything. After a decision she never truly wanted to make, Lyndia is violently assaulted, leaving her fractured and desperate for justice. But when she takes matters into her own hands and finally tracks down the man responsible, her search for closure ends in blood.

Now arrested and standing trial for murder, Lyndia’s fate hangs in the balance. In court, will she be seen as a victim pushed beyond the edge—or a criminal beyond redemption?

317 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 10, 2026

Reviews

[Rachel Browning]

“Shackles of Myself” by Chika Triumph is a deeply emotional slow-burn that quietly works its way under your skin, exploring dark, heavy topics with honesty and emotional depth. The characters felt raw, authentic, and deeply human, making their pain impossible not to carry alongside them.
I love dark thrillers that keep me on edge, but stories that can evoke this kind of emotion are just as powerful. Chika Triumph has a gift for making readers truly feel every heartbreaking moment, and that's a talent that can't be faked. This story lingered with me long after I finished, and I'm already eager to dive into the next story.

[Trinda Claycamp Chase]

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ (3/5)

I really enjoyed reading Shackles of Myself and would definitely recommend it to readers who enjoy character-driven suspense with emotional depth.

One thing I appreciated was that the story kept me guessing. There was one plot twist I never saw coming, and another where I knew something wasn’t quite right, but I couldn’t put my finger on it until the author started revealing the clues. That turned into a genuine “oh my gosh!” moment, which I always enjoy in a thriller.

I also appreciated the insight into another culture and its customs. At times, I found some of those traditions a little difficult to follow simply because they were unfamiliar to me. However, they also played a significant role in the story and, in my opinion, tied directly into the title Shackles of Me. Much of the novel centers on Lyndia’s struggle with being denied the freedom and autonomy she longs for, making those cultural expectations an important part of her journey.

My biggest critique is the pacing and structure of the thriller elements. The plot twists themselves were good, but a few of the reveals felt like they happened very quickly or could have benefited from a bit more buildup and smoother transitions. There were also stretches where the pacing felt slow. Even so, I still wanted to keep reading to find out what happened, and I felt the ending made the journey worthwhile.

For readers expecting a fast-paced psychological thriller from beginning to end, it’s worth knowing that the story spends a significant amount of time exploring Lyndia’s daily life and the challenges of growing up within a politically and culturally specific environment. For me, that aspect sometimes outweighed the psychological thriller elements. While I personally would have liked a stronger emphasis on the suspense, I still found the story engaging and appreciated the emotional depth it brought to Lyndia’s character.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read with memorable twists, a compelling main character, and an ending that paid off. Very few books make it in that rare 5-star category for me (probably less than 15 in my lifetime), it’s a solid 3-star read, and I’m glad I had the opportunity to read it.

[Shanice Rebeiro]

I received an ARC in exchange of an honest review.

First of all, thank you to Chika for the dedication! I wasn’t expecting it at all. I’m still so happy and grateful! My mind is still blown.
I received it having no idea what it was about. Did I care? Nope! If I like someone’s books then I will go in with no clue of what it’s about. Was I disappointed? Not at all!
He got me…. I didn’t know the twist in the book.
I legit thought she was going to be forced to marry the Senate President! Oops. I was wrong. Haha. I don’t think that scene was necessary but I understand you have to get to know the characters.
The time skips were a bit much. There was a particular skip that I’m thinking of that I mentioned to the author. That amused me. I understand the need to skip. I do think there were too many.
That’s literally the ONLY “negative” thing about this review. Although, I wouldn’t even say it’s negative because it needed that to progress the storyline.
“…because I’m not an extrovert. I like being by myself,” - Literally me!
Nelly has main character vibes and I’m here for it. Mainly because I love cats. lol
I don’t know what else to say without giving out spoilers. 😭
I have so many notes about this story but I can’t add them into my review!
This was a great story and one I’d definitely read again! My memory is bad so I’ll probably think the Senate President is bad again. 🤣
This was a five star read for me. I did read it slow because it’s just how I am sometimes but that doesn’t mean I hated it! I loved the characters, the fact that I was wrong about the twist and the whole storyline. I loved Nelly, Rachel and Lyndia.
Despite the fact I was slow reading it, it did keep me interested and engaged. The chapters weren’t too long and I loved that. I don’t think there were any boring scenes. Overall, I loved it! Still can’t believe I didn’t see the twist coming. I should be disappointed in myself but I’m not.
Thank you again to the author for letting me read this! You are awesome! I’m not very good at reviews so apologies in advance to whoever reads this.


P.S. I forgot to put that I was reading this on Goodreads so it looks like I read it in one day. I did not.

[Alisha]

Shackles of Myself ; Arch readers honest take . Please know I never like to trash author . But this book was not for me:

Shackles of Myself presents an engaging premise a young woman trapped between her family’s political ambitions and her own need for autonomy with a Nigerian setting that adds cultural specificity to the familiar story of control and rebellion. The narrative themes are solid: loss, moral complicity, the suffocation of personal identity within a family structure designed to prioritize appearances over authenticity.
The writing is competent, and there are moments of genuine emotional weight, particularly around the death of Lyndia’s confidante and her dawning awareness of the moral decay surrounding her. The family dynamics feel real, and the central tension—between Lyndia’s quiet defiance and her parents’ suffocating control—is worth exploring.

But here’s the problem: the book moves at a glacial pace without generating enough emotional or psychological momentum to justify it. The story is almost entirely interior, circling around Lyndia’s grief and frustration without building toward anything that feels like meaningful change or revelation. Her secret relationship reads more as avoidance than genuine breakthrough. For a narrative this introspective and slow-moving, the payoff needs to be substantial, and it simply isn’t.
If you love deeply introspective character studies and don’t mind a meditative pace, this might work for you. But if you’re looking for a story with forward motion and real narrative stakes, Shackles of Myself will likely feel like it’s treading water.
Not recommended for me, but worth trying if literary minimalism is your thing

[whatmrsdobbsreads]

Shackles of Myself by Chika Triumph
Well… this one definitely had me thinking! 👀
There was something about this story that pulled me in and kept me turning the pages. It’s one of those reads that makes you stop and think about the things that can hold us back, the battles we fight within ourselves, and just how difficult it can be to break free from the things that have a hold on us.
I really enjoyed getting lost in the story and watching everything unfold. There were moments that had me completely invested, moments that had me questioning things, and plenty that made me want to keep reading just to see where it was all going to go.
The characters brought plenty to the story, and I loved seeing their journeys develop throughout the book. There was emotion, tension and enough twists and turns to keep me hooked.
Was it perfect? No — there were a few moments where I felt the pacing dipped slightly for me, which is why I'm sitting comfortably at 4 stars rather than a full 5.
But overall? I really enjoyed this one.
Another ARC ticked off the list, and I'm definitely glad I picked this one up. 📚❤️
Thank you to Chika Triumph for the opportunity to read and review Shackles of Myself.
#ShacklesOfMyself #ChikaTriumph #ARCReview #ARCReader #BookReview

[Teresa M. Bruner]

This was an ARC read. For starters, this was a difficult read for me. I don't know if it was the type of book/genre it was or the language barriers (as I read the author is Nigerian and there is some Nigerian language, German language, as well as broken English). The story didn't quite flow right. There was a couple places where I felt like I missed something. I went back and read 2-3 pages just to make sure I didn't miss anything, and I didn't. It just read as if there was a page or two missing. The twist at the end however, did make my jaw drop! I almost DNF'd this book, but the author took the time to write it and was gracious enough to let me read it before publishing, so I had to finish it. Maybe a couple months down the road I'll pick it up again and re-read and undderstand it better. Thank you Chika Triumph for allowing me to read your work!

[Stephanie Sousa]

I received an ARC of Shackles of Myself and I am leaving an honest review.
I enjoyed reading Shackles of Myself.
This is a story of a young woman wanting freedom to do what she wants while struggling with living under her political father's thumb. Her choices weren't always in her best interest and she definitely had some traumatic experiences. I was captivated from the beginning but felt occasionally there needed to be a little more build up and other times things happened a bit too quickly. There were twists that initially I didn't see coming, while some were not quite obvious but I was definitely onto something. Overall it was definitely a good read, even with not always understanding the cultural differences.

[Sarah Barry]

ARC COPY FROM AUTHOR FOR HONEST REVIEW

Shackles of Myself is an emotional sow burn story. The characters in this book felt so related bleeding that I felt like I was apart of the story watching it unfold. I felt many emotions reading this book. That I spent a few days thinking about the it before I could pick up another book

[Donna Murphree]

Phew this book had me guessing what was happening. This poor girl was going thru a lot. I was thinking the entire time that she was just having blackouts or she was a stolen child but nope. I really enjoyed this book. Thanks for the opportunity of reading it.

[Amanda]

This book was not something I normally read. It is about a girl trying to break free from her family while still following the family culture. It was a good book with twists and turns. Some of which needed more build up before they happened. Regardless it was a good book.

[Shellyann Paape]

Wow I loved this book. It wasn’t what I expected. From the very beginning I hated her father. You know what there is protected one’s child, and there is just being a complete ahole. Everything he did was over the line. Something seemed off from the beginning.

It was nice when she had a confidant in Rachel. She knew who she could trust and not. The not always being her dad.

I feel like she went through typical teen emotions, but went thru them in a way most of us did. With rebellion and a support from our moms.

[Mandy]

“Shackles of Myself” is a gripping, character-driven thriller that blends emotional depth with compelling suspense. Chika Triumph creates a memorable story that keeps you invested in both the characters and their journey, making it a powerful and thought-provoking read.