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The Chasing Graves Trilogy #1-3
The Chasing Graves Trilogy Box Set
Welcome to Araxes, where getting murdered is just the start of your problems.
Read the complete Chasing Graves Trilogy in this dark fantasy box set, and, if you dare, dive into an Egyptian-inspired world full of ghosts, gods and murder, where monsters come in all shapes and sizes.
The Chasing Graves Trilogy Box Set contains:
- Chasing Graves
- Grim Solace
- Breaking Chaos
———
ABOUT THE STORY
Meet Caltro Basalt. He’s a master locksmith, a selfish bastard, and as of his first night in Araxes, stone cold dead.
They call it the City of Countless Souls, the colossal jewel of the Arctian Empire, and all it takes to be its ruler is to own more ghosts than any other. For in Araxes, the dead do not rest in peace in the afterlife, but live on as slaves for the rich.
While Caltro struggles to survive, those around him strive for the emperor’s throne in Araxes’ cutthroat game of power. The dead gods whisper from corpses, a soulstealer seeks to make a name for himself with the help of an ancient cult, a princess plots to purge the emperor from his armoured Sanctuary, and a murderer drags a body across the desert, intent on reaching Araxes no matter the cost.
Only one thing is certain in Araxes: death is just the beginning.
Read the complete Chasing Graves Trilogy in this dark fantasy box set, and, if you dare, dive into an Egyptian-inspired world full of ghosts, gods and murder, where monsters come in all shapes and sizes.
The Chasing Graves Trilogy Box Set contains:
- Chasing Graves
- Grim Solace
- Breaking Chaos
———
ABOUT THE STORY
Meet Caltro Basalt. He’s a master locksmith, a selfish bastard, and as of his first night in Araxes, stone cold dead.
They call it the City of Countless Souls, the colossal jewel of the Arctian Empire, and all it takes to be its ruler is to own more ghosts than any other. For in Araxes, the dead do not rest in peace in the afterlife, but live on as slaves for the rich.
While Caltro struggles to survive, those around him strive for the emperor’s throne in Araxes’ cutthroat game of power. The dead gods whisper from corpses, a soulstealer seeks to make a name for himself with the help of an ancient cult, a princess plots to purge the emperor from his armoured Sanctuary, and a murderer drags a body across the desert, intent on reaching Araxes no matter the cost.
Only one thing is certain in Araxes: death is just the beginning.
1291 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 7, 2019
179 people are currently reading
187 people want to read
About the author
Ben Galley
52 books852 followersBen Galley is a British author of dark and epic fantasy books who currently hails from Vancouver, Canada. Since publishing his debut Emaneska Series, Ben has released the award-winning weird western Scarlet Star Trilogy and standalone The Heart of Stone, the critically-acclaimed Chasing Graves Trilogy, and the new Scalussen Chronicles.
When he isn’t conjuring up strange new stories or arguing the finer points of magic systems and dragon anatomy, Ben explores the Canadian wilds, sips Scotch single malts, and snowboards very, very badly. One day he hopes to haunt an epic treehouse in the mountains.
Find all of Ben’s books or join his Discord and Patreon at: www.linktr.ee/bengalley
When he isn’t conjuring up strange new stories or arguing the finer points of magic systems and dragon anatomy, Ben explores the Canadian wilds, sips Scotch single malts, and snowboards very, very badly. One day he hopes to haunt an epic treehouse in the mountains.
Find all of Ben’s books or join his Discord and Patreon at: www.linktr.ee/bengalley
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
November 28, 2021
One of my favorite Grimdark series!
April 10, 2024
Why the heck didn't I read this sooner?!
Last week I've been in a bit of darker mood and felt like getting lost within the pages of an even darker read, with quite a bit of grim on the side. So I browsed through my kindle library and found this box set here. Bought I don't even remember when and left unread on the shelf.
An Egyptian-inspired world full of ghosts, gods and murder, where monsters come in all shapes and sizes, with a selfish bastard who happens to be stone cold dead as MC... sounded pretty good to me!
So I decided to give it a try.
Did it satisfy my crave for grim and dark? Absolutely! The tale dives straight into grimdark territory from the very beginning, and as you read you realise this grimdark is first class.
The wordbuilding is superb. The setting painted in striking detail and masterfully fleshed out with downright atmospheric prose. Dark and wonderfully vivid.
I loved the concept of living beyond death, and greatly enjoyed Nilith and her bickering with a certain shade. Great stuff!
The series as a whole is pretty damn dark. But also action jam-packed, exciting and fun. And yes! Despite - or should I say because - of that, it did make me chuckle. Not once but several times. Just as expected from a well written grimdark. And this one here is just about excellent.
I'm glad I had the box set though, and was able to binge read the series, because of the way the individual volumes end. The trilogy feels more like one single book split into three parts, and it would have frustrated me to no end to finish book one without having the sequel in hand.
All in all, this trilogy is the perfect fix to satisfy anyone's itch for a solid grimdark
Last week I've been in a bit of darker mood and felt like getting lost within the pages of an even darker read, with quite a bit of grim on the side. So I browsed through my kindle library and found this box set here. Bought I don't even remember when and left unread on the shelf.
An Egyptian-inspired world full of ghosts, gods and murder, where monsters come in all shapes and sizes, with a selfish bastard who happens to be stone cold dead as MC... sounded pretty good to me!
So I decided to give it a try.
Did it satisfy my crave for grim and dark? Absolutely! The tale dives straight into grimdark territory from the very beginning, and as you read you realise this grimdark is first class.
The wordbuilding is superb. The setting painted in striking detail and masterfully fleshed out with downright atmospheric prose. Dark and wonderfully vivid.
I loved the concept of living beyond death, and greatly enjoyed Nilith and her bickering with a certain shade. Great stuff!
The series as a whole is pretty damn dark. But also action jam-packed, exciting and fun. And yes! Despite - or should I say because - of that, it did make me chuckle. Not once but several times. Just as expected from a well written grimdark. And this one here is just about excellent.
I'm glad I had the box set though, and was able to binge read the series, because of the way the individual volumes end. The trilogy feels more like one single book split into three parts, and it would have frustrated me to no end to finish book one without having the sequel in hand.
All in all, this trilogy is the perfect fix to satisfy anyone's itch for a solid grimdark
December 20, 2020
Ahoy there me mateys! I loved the book the heart of stone by this author so I decided to give this trilogy a shot. The protagonist is Caltro Basalt, a selfish man who considers himself the greatest living locksmith. He heads to Araxes to take a commission only to be murdered his first night there. Then he awakens to find himself not only a slave but a ghost. Caltro doesn't let that stop him from still putting the most important thing first . . . himself.
The world building in this series is excellent. The entire economy and all power in Araxes stems from how many souls i.e. shades ye own. I absolutely loved the set up and details of how this realm worked. I was also very glad not to be living there. Or not living as the case may be.
The premise makes it seem as though Caltro is the only POV. His is the only one written in first person. There are many other character POVs as well. I particularly loved Nilith. She is dragging her husband's dead body through the desert and is determined to turn him into a shade. Time is running out and so it be a race to the finish. Her luck sucks. Her husband's shade bickers with her on this whole journey. Excellent.
Caltro and Nilith's stories are seemingly separate in this trilogy but of course do eventually merge. I had a very hard time deciding which of the two I liked better. Caltro is snarky and plotting. Nilith is just so badass and determined. I also enjoyed the machinations of the Widow and the investigator Heles. The bird, horse, and tracking creature were also great. The slave trader and the princess grated just a little bit.
I was glad to read the three books back to back because of how each one ends. It very much felt like one book split into three installments. The first book was by far me favorite. As the books continued the politics and religious elements increased and the focus widened. This change wasn't completely to me taste as I enjoyed the closer personal plotlines of the prior books. So while I didn't particularly love the ending, I am very glad to have read the trilogy. The shade currency itself was certainly worth it. Arrrr!
The world building in this series is excellent. The entire economy and all power in Araxes stems from how many souls i.e. shades ye own. I absolutely loved the set up and details of how this realm worked. I was also very glad not to be living there. Or not living as the case may be.
The premise makes it seem as though Caltro is the only POV. His is the only one written in first person. There are many other character POVs as well. I particularly loved Nilith. She is dragging her husband's dead body through the desert and is determined to turn him into a shade. Time is running out and so it be a race to the finish. Her luck sucks. Her husband's shade bickers with her on this whole journey. Excellent.
Caltro and Nilith's stories are seemingly separate in this trilogy but of course do eventually merge. I had a very hard time deciding which of the two I liked better. Caltro is snarky and plotting. Nilith is just so badass and determined. I also enjoyed the machinations of the Widow and the investigator Heles. The bird, horse, and tracking creature were also great. The slave trader and the princess grated just a little bit.
I was glad to read the three books back to back because of how each one ends. It very much felt like one book split into three installments. The first book was by far me favorite. As the books continued the politics and religious elements increased and the focus widened. This change wasn't completely to me taste as I enjoyed the closer personal plotlines of the prior books. So while I didn't particularly love the ending, I am very glad to have read the trilogy. The shade currency itself was certainly worth it. Arrrr!
January 23, 2020
This trilogy is awesome! Cool concept, great characters, a fun ride for sure! Get these books!
May 26, 2020
A thoroughly rewarding and gritty dark fantasy read that's nowhere near the gross-out horror the cover image threatens - thankfully, for the squeamish lovers of epic fantasy out there. Immersive and plotted to perfection, don't be put off by it's slow pace as the pay-off is worth it.
We follow a bunch of misfit characters in a fantasy world where the dead can be bound to serve the living as "shades" - a sort of semi-corporeal state of indenture. Our main narrator is one Caltro Basalt, lockpicking master with a beer belly and a penchant for getting into trouble. Trouble finds him the moment he sets foot in the city of Araxis, capital of the Arc from which all shade-trade originates. Getting knifed is bad enough, but then being soul bound and sold by a ruthless trader to a coldly indifferent mistress? Let's just say he's not having a good time. Nor are many others: not the lone woman Nilith dragging a body across the desert, not the crime boss Temsa who wants more than he has, not even the empress-in-waiting Sisine who feels the looming presence of her shut-in father and absent mother all the more keenly when the nobles of the city are unimpressed by her regency. Throw in a mysterious cult, a talking sword and the threat of all-out annihilation and you've got yourself quite the epic fantasy pot-boiler.
I loved virtually everything. At first I assumed this would be grimdark - you know, the murdery/sexual assaulty/sweary kind of thing - and tried to be prepared. But while it is dark, it doesn't try going down those depraved, explicit and sometimes downright misogynistic routes lots of the genre go to shock us. It's a more subtle kind of nasty - yes, with swearing, though there's less of it as the series progresses - more conceptual rather than dwelling on the dirty details.
The world building? Can we get a chef's kiss please? It's very obvious Egyptian inspired, what with pyramids and the names of the Gods. All the gritty details of the Arkian society are teased out beautifully, illuminated by quotations at the start of each chapter. The outside world isn't quite as obviously developed, and as with many large-scale fantasies I actually pined for a glossary to help me remember what race went where, but it's not overly important. It shouldn't really be surprising to know that virtually all characters would be termed POC - given the desert setting, it's the pale characters who get remarked upon for once.
Female characters rejoice, you have representation! And you're complex too! And respected! And quite a few are (dare we say it) over thirty! I often eye-roll at stories where women, even complex ones, are relegated to tiny bit-parts, play the whore/crone stereotype, or are just referred to anatomically all the time. Gender aside, this is not a book chock full of young pretty things. They're a wonderful mix of moral greyness, spanning the lawful/chaotic/good/evil spectrum you hope for in a good epic fantasy.
The pace is glacial, but for good reason. We hop between a number of POVs, with only Caltro's being in first person. That probably makes it easier to be invested in his story at first, but like a well-oiled machine made up of killer chapter end hooks, you find yourself drawn in by each character's trouble whether you love them or loathe them. The writing is for the gaping majority, excellent.
My only minor gripe is that towards the end when the action really picks up, some of the descriptions could feel a little fuzzy. I had to re-read a passage, then read it again to get exactly what happened, although occasionally the why eluded me. A shame some of those character arc changes felt rushed when the rest was so darn perfect.
Would I recommend this series? Oh yes. If you want your epic fantasy to have morally dubious doings rather than white knights, or you've ever thought about grimdark but been scared off by the nastier side, then this is the series for you.
We follow a bunch of misfit characters in a fantasy world where the dead can be bound to serve the living as "shades" - a sort of semi-corporeal state of indenture. Our main narrator is one Caltro Basalt, lockpicking master with a beer belly and a penchant for getting into trouble. Trouble finds him the moment he sets foot in the city of Araxis, capital of the Arc from which all shade-trade originates. Getting knifed is bad enough, but then being soul bound and sold by a ruthless trader to a coldly indifferent mistress? Let's just say he's not having a good time. Nor are many others: not the lone woman Nilith dragging a body across the desert, not the crime boss Temsa who wants more than he has, not even the empress-in-waiting Sisine who feels the looming presence of her shut-in father and absent mother all the more keenly when the nobles of the city are unimpressed by her regency. Throw in a mysterious cult, a talking sword and the threat of all-out annihilation and you've got yourself quite the epic fantasy pot-boiler.
I loved virtually everything. At first I assumed this would be grimdark - you know, the murdery/sexual assaulty/sweary kind of thing - and tried to be prepared. But while it is dark, it doesn't try going down those depraved, explicit and sometimes downright misogynistic routes lots of the genre go to shock us. It's a more subtle kind of nasty - yes, with swearing, though there's less of it as the series progresses - more conceptual rather than dwelling on the dirty details.
The world building? Can we get a chef's kiss please? It's very obvious Egyptian inspired, what with pyramids and the names of the Gods. All the gritty details of the Arkian society are teased out beautifully, illuminated by quotations at the start of each chapter. The outside world isn't quite as obviously developed, and as with many large-scale fantasies I actually pined for a glossary to help me remember what race went where, but it's not overly important. It shouldn't really be surprising to know that virtually all characters would be termed POC - given the desert setting, it's the pale characters who get remarked upon for once.
Female characters rejoice, you have representation! And you're complex too! And respected! And quite a few are (dare we say it) over thirty! I often eye-roll at stories where women, even complex ones, are relegated to tiny bit-parts, play the whore/crone stereotype, or are just referred to anatomically all the time. Gender aside, this is not a book chock full of young pretty things. They're a wonderful mix of moral greyness, spanning the lawful/chaotic/good/evil spectrum you hope for in a good epic fantasy.
The pace is glacial, but for good reason. We hop between a number of POVs, with only Caltro's being in first person. That probably makes it easier to be invested in his story at first, but like a well-oiled machine made up of killer chapter end hooks, you find yourself drawn in by each character's trouble whether you love them or loathe them. The writing is for the gaping majority, excellent.
My only minor gripe is that towards the end when the action really picks up, some of the descriptions could feel a little fuzzy. I had to re-read a passage, then read it again to get exactly what happened, although occasionally the why eluded me. A shame some of those character arc changes felt rushed when the rest was so darn perfect.
Would I recommend this series? Oh yes. If you want your epic fantasy to have morally dubious doings rather than white knights, or you've ever thought about grimdark but been scared off by the nastier side, then this is the series for you.
July 10, 2021
Trigger Warning: Depictions of murder and other general violence, mentions of decaying individuals
You know a main character is going to be an interesting one when his first scene has him shitting in a box purely out of spite. Such is our introduction to Caltro Basalt, the narrator and main character of Ben Galley’s Chasing Graves trilogy. Much like I said in my original review, Caltro is a prick. He isn’t the nicest guy but then again none of the characters in the trilogy are very nice. Every one has their own agenda and are willing to do whatever it takes to see it to the end.
The world building that Galley started in the first book of the series continued in the second and third books. We the reader are introduced to more areas not only of the great city Araxes but of surrounding areas as well. We are introduced to more characters, more people who either support Caltro and Nilith or want to see them fail.
Again, like in the first book, the second and third books are peppered with hints. Small asides and throwaway lines that at first make no sense but give the reader a clue that perhaps there is something bigger going on. All of these little things do add up in the end, culminating in a battle that is for the ages.
Because the events of the Chasing Graves trilogy happen in so short a time – just over a month – it is probably a good idea to read them back to back. Of course it isn’t necessary and the reader can space them out however they wish, I just found it to be a more enjoyable reading experience delving in to the second (and third) book with the previous ones still fresh in my mind.
Just as I enjoyed reading Chasing Graves, I enjoyed reading Grim Solace and Breaking Chaos (books 2 and 3 respectively). I recommend it to all my readers, especially those who like me have an interest in Egyptian mythology.
February 9, 2020
The Chasing Graves Trilogy will take you into the dark fantasy world with their giant insects, over populated cities and decrepit ancient buildings. Oh and did I mention the slaves?? Don’t worry it’s okay they are dead!! Yes they have slave ghost. So you get to live your life in this crappy universe with your only silver lining being that one day you get to die and it will all end. Ummmm NOPE!! They figured out a way to cheat death and have stolen the souls of the dead, kept them among the living and treat them as slaves by holding them hostage with their copper passage payment.
Well considering they don’t eat or sleep it’s kind of genius.
Caltro a Shade (that’s what the ghost/slaves are called) is forced into the indenturment (that’s what they call the slave trade organization) and he has been chosen...
I loved Caltro’s character and journey the best. This story is so well written that you fall right into his character and can relate in a way you wouldn’t imagine considering the content. He is spunky and fun as hell.
There is so much going on in these book that you will be immensely entertained, gods, royalty, theft, betrayal, murder oh and an orgy.
A great read, I really enjoyed this adventure!
And that playlist, yo🥰
Well considering they don’t eat or sleep it’s kind of genius.
Caltro a Shade (that’s what the ghost/slaves are called) is forced into the indenturment (that’s what they call the slave trade organization) and he has been chosen...
I loved Caltro’s character and journey the best. This story is so well written that you fall right into his character and can relate in a way you wouldn’t imagine considering the content. He is spunky and fun as hell.
There is so much going on in these book that you will be immensely entertained, gods, royalty, theft, betrayal, murder oh and an orgy.
A great read, I really enjoyed this adventure!
And that playlist, yo🥰
January 26, 2021
I really liked the idea behind this and the unusual start but it just didn't grip me. The story was good and the characters were interesting but I just wasn't invested in it. I persevered because I'd bought the trilogy but in all honesty I probably wouldn't have picked up book 2 if I'd only bought book 1 because I just didn't care what happened to the characters.
I do like the story but personally I need more character development and the characters in this all felt somewhat one dimensional and a bit predictable. I found that by the final chapters I just wanted it to end. For me, the most interesting characters were a falcon and a talking sword.
I do like the story but personally I need more character development and the characters in this all felt somewhat one dimensional and a bit predictable. I found that by the final chapters I just wanted it to end. For me, the most interesting characters were a falcon and a talking sword.
June 21, 2020
A bit of everything
Told in multiple first person, there's an occasional "huh" as I had to decipher which character's POV I was seeing, it works though.
There's some familiar mythology, but the names have evolved just a smidge. But like I said, this trilogy has a bit of everything in it to make up a very good story. Dead gods, treachery and backstabbing, palace politics, revenge, talking swords, and the reluctant hero. All in all a very good tale, and apparently there's more to tell.
Told in multiple first person, there's an occasional "huh" as I had to decipher which character's POV I was seeing, it works though.
There's some familiar mythology, but the names have evolved just a smidge. But like I said, this trilogy has a bit of everything in it to make up a very good story. Dead gods, treachery and backstabbing, palace politics, revenge, talking swords, and the reluctant hero. All in all a very good tale, and apparently there's more to tell.
December 15, 2022
Riveting from beginning to end
Excellent grim and perilous potboiler of a trilogy. While some threads plod a touch, the focus on the two main characters keeps rolling like a tire on fire. Each twist and turn of the plot weaves an engaging and entertaining tale of enslaved ghosts, rogue empresses and the cutthroat political games of an empire built on the backs of the dead.
Well worth every minute of my eyes on the page.
Excellent grim and perilous potboiler of a trilogy. While some threads plod a touch, the focus on the two main characters keeps rolling like a tire on fire. Each twist and turn of the plot weaves an engaging and entertaining tale of enslaved ghosts, rogue empresses and the cutthroat political games of an empire built on the backs of the dead.
Well worth every minute of my eyes on the page.
May 8, 2020
I really enjoyed it!
To be honest, the flitting around of the point of view would have gotten annoying —But the twists and turns and shear outrageousness of some of the scenes kept me riveted until the very end.
To be honest, the flitting around of the point of view would have gotten annoying —But the twists and turns and shear outrageousness of some of the scenes kept me riveted until the very end.
June 5, 2021
De la fantasy distopique. Dans un monde ou les hommes savent faire des esclaves des morts, il est plus rentable de tuer un homme et de lier pour l'éternité que de le voler.
C'est sombre, l'univers est vraiment particulier, et ça se dévore.
C'est sombre, l'univers est vraiment particulier, et ça se dévore.
June 25, 2023
Adored
Absolutely loved this fantasy series. These books are so gripping, dark and morbid but funny and just keeps you coming back for more. Thoroughly enjoyed the trilogy and I look forward to reading Ben Galley's other works soon.
Absolutely loved this fantasy series. These books are so gripping, dark and morbid but funny and just keeps you coming back for more. Thoroughly enjoyed the trilogy and I look forward to reading Ben Galley's other works soon.
July 11, 2020
4.5 stars but rounded up. RIP Pointy.
November 8, 2020
There's a good balance between character drama and action, and there was real character growth across the series. Throw in some twists and turns, and it was a very enjoyable series.
April 20, 2021
This book is awful. I just couldn't read any further. I usually don't DNF, but this one was just a complete waste of time.
March 28, 2022
awesome
I have been reading Ben’s books now for over a decade and I loved every one. Now that I’m finished with this trilogy I’m going to reread The Written series
I have been reading Ben’s books now for over a decade and I loved every one. Now that I’m finished with this trilogy I’m going to reread The Written series
June 18, 2022
Love it
I really enjoyed the characters, very rich and rounded, good and evil not so clear. Reminds me of one of my favorite series, the Malazan Books of the Fallen.
I really enjoyed the characters, very rich and rounded, good and evil not so clear. Reminds me of one of my favorite series, the Malazan Books of the Fallen.
September 17, 2020
Just get It and read it it’s one of the best laid out & written books I’ve read in a very long time .
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews