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Threadlight #3
Bonds of Chaos
Bonds of Chaos is the final installment of the Threadlight trilogy, which begins with the multi-award-winning Voice of War.
TO BREAK THE BONDS, THERE WILL BE SACRIFICES
When all was lost, the Heralds returned, and the world embraced them as gods and saviors. But there are some who know the truth: the Heralds are not what they seem.
Now, in a desperate attempt to stop them, Chrys and the others travel to Cynosure with hopes of enlisting the only Amber threadweaver with the power to help.
Chrys, Laurel, Alverax, and those they love.
Together, they will stop the gods...or they will die trying.
TO BREAK THE BONDS, THERE WILL BE SACRIFICES
When all was lost, the Heralds returned, and the world embraced them as gods and saviors. But there are some who know the truth: the Heralds are not what they seem.
Now, in a desperate attempt to stop them, Chrys and the others travel to Cynosure with hopes of enlisting the only Amber threadweaver with the power to help.
Chrys, Laurel, Alverax, and those they love.
Together, they will stop the gods...or they will die trying.
376 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 25, 2022
37 people are currently reading
1237 people want to read
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May 6, 2024
Review copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Bonds of Chaos has successfully nailed the necessary satisfying conclusion to the Threadlight trilogy.
It is always a good feeling to read a series that ends satisfyingly. Having finished the Threadlight trilogy, I could truly understand why this series is so beloved in the indie fantasy community. The resonating themes of the series, while they are common in the genre, were executed to the fullest in a relatively small number of pages. Threadlight trilogy by Zack Argyle is not a big series. I’m sure Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson is bigger than the entire Threadlight trilogy. And yes, some preferences with chonky epic fantasy did lead to some unfulfilled potential—more on this later—in the trilogy. However, it is hard to deny the enjoyment of experiencing the palpable sense of camaraderie, found family, justice, faith, and friendship evidenced in the texts of Bonds of Chaos. This is undoubtedly my favorite installment of the series.
Similar to how its predecessor started, the story in Bonds of Chaos continues immediately from where Stones of Light ended. As you can probably expect from the similar-sized, but in my opinion, short novel, Argyle needs to quickly turn the story into something incredibly engaging. I believe he has achieved this. The first part of the story in Cynosure can be categorized as the only part that felt slower, but it was never uninteresting. I loved the Theo game section. It was short, tense, and integral to the story. Argyle included characters/elements from his fellow SPFBO finalists' books into this game, too, and in a way, I feel this action is a nice gesture that speaks volumes about how he treated his fellow finalists not as competitors but as friends.
Picture: Theo by Rashed AlAkroka.
But really, the entirety of Bonds of Chaos is a fast-paced reading experience as the characters escape, plan, and try their best to desperately win against the overwhelming odds stacked against them. Bonds will break. Sacrifices will have to be made. The gods need to be stopped. Chris and his family, together with Laurel, Alverax, will have to rely on each other and more.
Having all the main characters in Threadlight trilogy in close proximity was one of the main reasons why the pacing in Bonds of Chaos worked so well for me. In my previous two reviews, I mentioned how I felt invested in Chrys and Alverax’s story but not too engaged with Laurel’s storyline. That situation changed in this final installment. After what happened in the previous two books, and now that Laurel is being put together frequently with the other main characters, her POV chapters feel more intriguing and crucial to the narrative than before. This is just one of the benefits of having all the main characters together doing their best to survive their ordeals. The action scenes were superb, and the character development for some of the main characters was simply rewarding.
In my review ofVoice of War, I said Chrys was my favorite character in that book. Unfortunately, that is no longer the case. Do not get me wrong here. I still like Chrys, Iriel, and the family theme demonstrated in their journey. But if I were asked to pick my favorite character of the trilogy, Alverax would win the spot. Easily. Out of all the main characters in Threadlight trilogy, Alverax is the one that developed the most. His entire character’s arc was great and organically built. While it is true that I like Chrys, if I exclude the circumstances he encountered from the equation, he did not progress much as a character throughout the trilogy. If you look back to the beginning of Threadlight trilogy and remember how Alverax’s story began, comparing his actions and behavior to those at the end of the series, you will see how much he developed as an individual. His hardships shaped him into a stronger, kinder, and better person instead of turning him into an embodiment of evil.
Majority of Threadlight trilogy was incredible. As I said, Bonds of Chaos is my favorite volume in the series. My criticisms of the trilogy are caused by the shorter length of the series. This isn’t to say shorter epic fantasy series aren’t allowed in the market, or short epic fantasy books cannot be brilliant. At the time of writing this right now, shorter epic fantasy books are demanded by traditional publishers. However, I believe Argyle has the skills as a storyteller to potentially transform Threadlight trilogy into something even more impactful and immersive. As it stands now, despite how much I enjoyed the trilogy, I do feel the main villains were forgettable and lacking in development and background. Although the world contains more than a thousand years of history and lore, it never felt that way because more pages are needed to improve the immersion and intricacies in world-building. Maybe rather than criticisms, it would be more precise to call these what I would say as unfulfilled potentials.
Picture: Heralds by Omer Burak Onal
Fortunately, there were minor pet peeves on the grander scheme of the trilogy. Bonds of Chaos ended powerfully with a memorable climax sequence that continues from strength to strength. This is my favorite sequence in the entire trilogy. It was reminiscent of reading Sanderson’s Sanderlanche. With exciting twists and turns, sacrifices, moving speech, and every main character burning with maximum spirit to accomplish their respective mission to save the world, if this is how good Argyle is at concluding his first trilogy, I am excited to read what he will write next. The ending scenes were satisfying, and the bonus chapter contained in the deluxe omnibus edition made it even more.
Bonds of Chaos is my favorite installment in the Threadlight trilogy. Simple as that. The writing was easy to read; they flowed well, and the pacing was engaging. I had a wonderful time reading each book in Threadlight trilogy. As I always say in every review of each book in the series, I cannot recommend this series highly enough to readers who love reading Sanderson's books but want to read a smaller and compact version of it. This is it. Threadlight trilogy is it. It may not break any new ground, but the themes were executed with finesse in a comparatively small number of pages for an epic fantasy trilogy. Not only that, I think this is a worthy series to recommend to beginners in the fantasy genre who want to experience reading a great epic fantasy series without feeling overwhelmed. I am satisfied. And I certainly will read Symphony of the Skies by Zack Argyle when it's ready.
Series Review:
Voice of War: 4/5 stars
Stones of Light: 4/5 stars
Bonds of Chaos: 4/5 stars
Threadlight trilogy: 12/15 stars
You can order this book from: Amazon | Blackwells (Free International shipping)
You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions | I also have a Booktube channel
Special thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing!
My Patrons: Alfred, Aliysa, Ambrosius, Andrew, Andrew S, Annabeth, Anne, Arliss, Barbara, Bev, Cade, Chris, Christopher, Cullen, Dan, Donuts, Dylan, Edward, Elaine, Elias, Erich, Feanor, Francesca, Frank, Garrick, Gary, Gregory, Hamad, Helen, Jenn, Jesse, Joie, Jonathan, Katrina, Kim, Kristina, Lara, Lourdes, Luis, Melinda, Michael, Michael, Mike, Miracle, Mordie, Nicholas, Nick, Norbert, Radiah, RCT, Redmischief, Rue, Samuel, Sarah, Sarah, Scott, Shawn, Steph, Stephanie, Tiffany, Tracy, Trish, TS, Wick, Woodman, Xero, Yuri, Zoe.
Bonds of Chaos has successfully nailed the necessary satisfying conclusion to the Threadlight trilogy.
“No matter how hard a man may try, he never truly understands hurt beyond what he has experienced himself.”
It is always a good feeling to read a series that ends satisfyingly. Having finished the Threadlight trilogy, I could truly understand why this series is so beloved in the indie fantasy community. The resonating themes of the series, while they are common in the genre, were executed to the fullest in a relatively small number of pages. Threadlight trilogy by Zack Argyle is not a big series. I’m sure Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson is bigger than the entire Threadlight trilogy. And yes, some preferences with chonky epic fantasy did lead to some unfulfilled potential—more on this later—in the trilogy. However, it is hard to deny the enjoyment of experiencing the palpable sense of camaraderie, found family, justice, faith, and friendship evidenced in the texts of Bonds of Chaos. This is undoubtedly my favorite installment of the series.
“A friend once told me that people are like trees. The way I see it, it doesn’t matter how many broken branches you have, or how many leaves you’ve lost. If a tree is standing, it’s no less whole than the trees beside it. “I watched my friends die because I wasn’t enough to save them, and I can still feel the pain where those branches split. But new branches grow where old ones break. No matter what it might feel like right now, how dark or empty you feel, it gets better.”
Similar to how its predecessor started, the story in Bonds of Chaos continues immediately from where Stones of Light ended. As you can probably expect from the similar-sized, but in my opinion, short novel, Argyle needs to quickly turn the story into something incredibly engaging. I believe he has achieved this. The first part of the story in Cynosure can be categorized as the only part that felt slower, but it was never uninteresting. I loved the Theo game section. It was short, tense, and integral to the story. Argyle included characters/elements from his fellow SPFBO finalists' books into this game, too, and in a way, I feel this action is a nice gesture that speaks volumes about how he treated his fellow finalists not as competitors but as friends.
Picture: Theo by Rashed AlAkroka.
But really, the entirety of Bonds of Chaos is a fast-paced reading experience as the characters escape, plan, and try their best to desperately win against the overwhelming odds stacked against them. Bonds will break. Sacrifices will have to be made. The gods need to be stopped. Chris and his family, together with Laurel, Alverax, will have to rely on each other and more.
“Being the hero is never easy. But we don’t have to do it alone. All of us here, we’re in this together. Life or death. I don’t know about you, but no matter the outcome, there’s no one I’d rather try with.”
Having all the main characters in Threadlight trilogy in close proximity was one of the main reasons why the pacing in Bonds of Chaos worked so well for me. In my previous two reviews, I mentioned how I felt invested in Chrys and Alverax’s story but not too engaged with Laurel’s storyline. That situation changed in this final installment. After what happened in the previous two books, and now that Laurel is being put together frequently with the other main characters, her POV chapters feel more intriguing and crucial to the narrative than before. This is just one of the benefits of having all the main characters together doing their best to survive their ordeals. The action scenes were superb, and the character development for some of the main characters was simply rewarding.
“The point, Alverax, is that some burdens are handed to us, but others we pick up for ourselves. Our job is not to wallow in the gravity of it, nor to simply push forward and accept it. Our job is to ask ourselves which burdens are worth the weight and which are not. My boy, don’t wait until you’re falling over to lighten your load. This grudge you have for what your father did, you have to set it down.”
In my review ofVoice of War, I said Chrys was my favorite character in that book. Unfortunately, that is no longer the case. Do not get me wrong here. I still like Chrys, Iriel, and the family theme demonstrated in their journey. But if I were asked to pick my favorite character of the trilogy, Alverax would win the spot. Easily. Out of all the main characters in Threadlight trilogy, Alverax is the one that developed the most. His entire character’s arc was great and organically built. While it is true that I like Chrys, if I exclude the circumstances he encountered from the equation, he did not progress much as a character throughout the trilogy. If you look back to the beginning of Threadlight trilogy and remember how Alverax’s story began, comparing his actions and behavior to those at the end of the series, you will see how much he developed as an individual. His hardships shaped him into a stronger, kinder, and better person instead of turning him into an embodiment of evil.
Of course not—most people we forgive are undeserving—but the only person a grudge hurts is the one who carries it. If you want to live a life hunched over in pain, go ahead. But if you want to stand as tall as the world deserves to see you stand, then you need to shed your burden.”
Majority of Threadlight trilogy was incredible. As I said, Bonds of Chaos is my favorite volume in the series. My criticisms of the trilogy are caused by the shorter length of the series. This isn’t to say shorter epic fantasy series aren’t allowed in the market, or short epic fantasy books cannot be brilliant. At the time of writing this right now, shorter epic fantasy books are demanded by traditional publishers. However, I believe Argyle has the skills as a storyteller to potentially transform Threadlight trilogy into something even more impactful and immersive. As it stands now, despite how much I enjoyed the trilogy, I do feel the main villains were forgettable and lacking in development and background. Although the world contains more than a thousand years of history and lore, it never felt that way because more pages are needed to improve the immersion and intricacies in world-building. Maybe rather than criticisms, it would be more precise to call these what I would say as unfulfilled potentials.
Picture: Heralds by Omer Burak Onal
Fortunately, there were minor pet peeves on the grander scheme of the trilogy. Bonds of Chaos ended powerfully with a memorable climax sequence that continues from strength to strength. This is my favorite sequence in the entire trilogy. It was reminiscent of reading Sanderson’s Sanderlanche. With exciting twists and turns, sacrifices, moving speech, and every main character burning with maximum spirit to accomplish their respective mission to save the world, if this is how good Argyle is at concluding his first trilogy, I am excited to read what he will write next. The ending scenes were satisfying, and the bonus chapter contained in the deluxe omnibus edition made it even more.
“No matter what he may claim, a man’s heart never truly grows accustomed to loss. He may believe it has, but it’s not the loss that has grown dull. It is the depth of his love, driven by fear, which has grown shallow.”
Bonds of Chaos is my favorite installment in the Threadlight trilogy. Simple as that. The writing was easy to read; they flowed well, and the pacing was engaging. I had a wonderful time reading each book in Threadlight trilogy. As I always say in every review of each book in the series, I cannot recommend this series highly enough to readers who love reading Sanderson's books but want to read a smaller and compact version of it. This is it. Threadlight trilogy is it. It may not break any new ground, but the themes were executed with finesse in a comparatively small number of pages for an epic fantasy trilogy. Not only that, I think this is a worthy series to recommend to beginners in the fantasy genre who want to experience reading a great epic fantasy series without feeling overwhelmed. I am satisfied. And I certainly will read Symphony of the Skies by Zack Argyle when it's ready.
“But sometimes life does not give the most to the deserving. Sometimes, life takes, and it takes until the once-filled well runs dry. Sometimes, it is cruelest to the kindest and coldest to those already bitten by the frost. It is brutal, callous, and most of all, unfair. And so, it becomes the work of men to bring balance. To fill the empty wells. To warm the shivering shoulders. To sacrifice for the greater good.”
Series Review:
Voice of War: 4/5 stars
Stones of Light: 4/5 stars
Bonds of Chaos: 4/5 stars
Threadlight trilogy: 12/15 stars
“Do not doubt the path, his voice bellowed in Alverax’s mind. No matter how dark the way may seem, there is always light beyond the bend, if you will take the steps to find it.”
You can order this book from: Amazon | Blackwells (Free International shipping)
You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions | I also have a Booktube channel
Special thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing!
My Patrons: Alfred, Aliysa, Ambrosius, Andrew, Andrew S, Annabeth, Anne, Arliss, Barbara, Bev, Cade, Chris, Christopher, Cullen, Dan, Donuts, Dylan, Edward, Elaine, Elias, Erich, Feanor, Francesca, Frank, Garrick, Gary, Gregory, Hamad, Helen, Jenn, Jesse, Joie, Jonathan, Katrina, Kim, Kristina, Lara, Lourdes, Luis, Melinda, Michael, Michael, Mike, Miracle, Mordie, Nicholas, Nick, Norbert, Radiah, RCT, Redmischief, Rue, Samuel, Sarah, Sarah, Scott, Shawn, Steph, Stephanie, Tiffany, Tracy, Trish, TS, Wick, Woodman, Xero, Yuri, Zoe.
July 26, 2022
Well, that was a ride.
First things first, the most important question for me to answer is: Did Zack Argyle stick the landing. And yes, in many brilliant and unexpected ways, he did.
There's so much good in this series as a whole, and I love the part that family plays throughout it, right to the very end. There are some real heart-in-mouth moments here, and I'm sure plenty of tears will be shed as readers come to the end of this trilogy.
For me, I can say several times over that "I did not expect that" but each time, it just worked. On the one hand, for that one thing, I will say to Zack, "Not fair." But on the other hand, there's such a beautiful response to close the book out that it almost makes it acceptable. Almost.
A fantastic read, well worth the wait, and I look forward to whatever Zack gives us next, because he has shown that he can nail the beginning, the middle, and now the ending.
First things first, the most important question for me to answer is: Did Zack Argyle stick the landing. And yes, in many brilliant and unexpected ways, he did.
There's so much good in this series as a whole, and I love the part that family plays throughout it, right to the very end. There are some real heart-in-mouth moments here, and I'm sure plenty of tears will be shed as readers come to the end of this trilogy.
For me, I can say several times over that "I did not expect that" but each time, it just worked. On the one hand, for that one thing, I will say to Zack, "Not fair." But on the other hand, there's such a beautiful response to close the book out that it almost makes it acceptable. Almost.
A fantastic read, well worth the wait, and I look forward to whatever Zack gives us next, because he has shown that he can nail the beginning, the middle, and now the ending.
October 26, 2022
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Voice of War ★★★★
Stones of Light ★★★★★
Bonds of Chaos ★★★★
Self published books get much more respect and appreciation these days to a joint effort of authors and reviewers. Authors like Will Wight, Ryan Cahill, M.L. Wang and many others changed how people view those books and I think Argyle by concluding this series is providing much of those efforts too.
I am so thankful for Argyle for sending me a physical ARC of the book in exchange of an honest review because I am just obsessed with these covers. It goes without saying that that has no effect on my rating or review.
I read Stones of Light in March last year but between now and then I read an additional 200 books (Stones of Light was book #677 and Bonds of Chaos was book 893) and that means a lot of the details just vanished from my mind. I am not a re-reader in general because I would always prefer to use the time to discover new books but I wish I had more time to re-read. Argyle did a great job by providing a recap of the first two books at the beginning of this novel and I am so glad he did that or I would have been utterly confused. I won’t stop saying this but all authors should do this step because it has a huge impact on ratings, enjoyment of the book and most importantly for the authors themselves, the sales! I wish that we had a glossary of the characters and the different powers in the magic system but I may be a bit greedy asking for that.
So the story itself takes place after the events of last book and that book ended intensely so this one starts with a lots of action and fast pacing. The stakes are higher than ever in this book and the events are kind of unexpected on a large scale.
As usual the characters are what makes this series shine (pun intended) and there are a lot of themes around families and friendships and sacrifice and hope which I really really liked. Chrys is facing challenges that are worse than anything he faced before. Laurel with her Chromawolf are just the best and I don’t know how some people don’t like them. Alverax is still a bit confused by the events of last book and is trying to find his place in this world and just do better.
The chapters were short and the pacing is fast which made this very hard to put down and also a bit out of the ordinary long and tedious chapters that we have in fantasy. I really think we need more stories like this which are not huge in size and are just fast paced. On the other hand, I think it was a bit too fast which made some of the events less impactful as there is no time to just catch our breath and feel what the characters are feeling. I originally though this was a duology but in reality I can see it easily extended into 4-5 books. I am not really complaining because Argyle landed the ending but I wouldn’t have minded more time in this world and those characters.
Summary: This was a fast-paced and intense finale that concluded the story beautifully. I appreciate all the minor details the authors took care of such as the matching covers and the recap section. I loved the writing, the characters and also the world-building. I enjoyed the not so usual pacing which is often slower in this genre but overall I am satisfied and I am looking forward for Argyle next series already!
“Take people away from magic, and the power is lost. Take magic away from people, and their power remains. The world will move on.”
Voice of War ★★★★
Stones of Light ★★★★★
Bonds of Chaos ★★★★
Self published books get much more respect and appreciation these days to a joint effort of authors and reviewers. Authors like Will Wight, Ryan Cahill, M.L. Wang and many others changed how people view those books and I think Argyle by concluding this series is providing much of those efforts too.
I am so thankful for Argyle for sending me a physical ARC of the book in exchange of an honest review because I am just obsessed with these covers. It goes without saying that that has no effect on my rating or review.
I read Stones of Light in March last year but between now and then I read an additional 200 books (Stones of Light was book #677 and Bonds of Chaos was book 893) and that means a lot of the details just vanished from my mind. I am not a re-reader in general because I would always prefer to use the time to discover new books but I wish I had more time to re-read. Argyle did a great job by providing a recap of the first two books at the beginning of this novel and I am so glad he did that or I would have been utterly confused. I won’t stop saying this but all authors should do this step because it has a huge impact on ratings, enjoyment of the book and most importantly for the authors themselves, the sales! I wish that we had a glossary of the characters and the different powers in the magic system but I may be a bit greedy asking for that.
“That’s not how it works. People are like…trees.”
“Trees?” Chrys repeated.
“Yeah,” Laurel said thoughtfully. She turned her gaze toward the far wall, as if she were seeing another place in the distance. “You don’t fix a tree. You can take care of it, sure, but it’s the tree that has to heal itself.”
So the story itself takes place after the events of last book and that book ended intensely so this one starts with a lots of action and fast pacing. The stakes are higher than ever in this book and the events are kind of unexpected on a large scale.
As usual the characters are what makes this series shine (pun intended) and there are a lot of themes around families and friendships and sacrifice and hope which I really really liked. Chrys is facing challenges that are worse than anything he faced before. Laurel with her Chromawolf are just the best and I don’t know how some people don’t like them. Alverax is still a bit confused by the events of last book and is trying to find his place in this world and just do better.
The chapters were short and the pacing is fast which made this very hard to put down and also a bit out of the ordinary long and tedious chapters that we have in fantasy. I really think we need more stories like this which are not huge in size and are just fast paced. On the other hand, I think it was a bit too fast which made some of the events less impactful as there is no time to just catch our breath and feel what the characters are feeling. I originally though this was a duology but in reality I can see it easily extended into 4-5 books. I am not really complaining because Argyle landed the ending but I wouldn’t have minded more time in this world and those characters.
“If the options are death to all mankind or death to threadlight, I think we would go with the latter.”
Summary: This was a fast-paced and intense finale that concluded the story beautifully. I appreciate all the minor details the authors took care of such as the matching covers and the recap section. I loved the writing, the characters and also the world-building. I enjoyed the not so usual pacing which is often slower in this genre but overall I am satisfied and I am looking forward for Argyle next series already!
August 17, 2022
Argyle nails the ending!
I have finally come to the end of this series, and what a ride it has been. Let me start by stating Argyle definitely delivers a satisfying, albeit unexpected conclusion to the Threadlight trilogy. Not only is this book extraordinarily fast-paced and filled with lots of action and great character moments, but it also has strong themes. Bonds of Chaos analyses the themes of fanatical religion, living for the greater good, sacrifice, family, forgiveness, and the importance of having hope in the darkest times. This book is filled with clever and thought-provoking quotes which demonstrate how much Argyle has improved as an author.
Consequently, Argyle fleshes out the world even more and gives the reader some much-needed answers about the magic system, the gods and the wastelanders. I was pretty surprised by some of Argyle’s decisions regarding world-building!
I also have to praise Argyle’s character work. I was filled with excitement and sadness as I was nearing the end of Bonds of Chaos since I knew I would have to say goodbye to characters to whom I had become so attached. Out of all the characters in this series, Alverax is definitely my favourite. Alverax’s character arc is terrific and so satisfying! Although I am glad to have read this series, reading the last chapter also felt bittersweet.
However, I felt like the first 100 pages of this book weren’t as compelling as the rest. While the other books jumped around from location to location, which added to more variety, this book starts with the whole main cast being together. It almost felt like we only followed one storyline for the first 100 pages. However, this is a very minor criticism since I did enjoy this book as a whole immensely.
So what are my concluding thoughts? I would highly recommend this series to anyone that is a fan of epic fantasy, especially fans of John Gwynne and Brandon Sanderson. Threadlight series is a riveting, action-packed, compelling fantasy story that will have the reader turning the pages from start to finish. Threadlight is one of the best self-published series I have ever read. I will definitely be picking up whatever Argyle writes next!
A special thanks to Zack Argyle for an arc in exchange for an honest review.
4.5 / 5 stars
Thanks to my Patreons Erin, Peturious, Blake, Mel, Melissa and Áron Sofus.
I have finally come to the end of this series, and what a ride it has been. Let me start by stating Argyle definitely delivers a satisfying, albeit unexpected conclusion to the Threadlight trilogy. Not only is this book extraordinarily fast-paced and filled with lots of action and great character moments, but it also has strong themes. Bonds of Chaos analyses the themes of fanatical religion, living for the greater good, sacrifice, family, forgiveness, and the importance of having hope in the darkest times. This book is filled with clever and thought-provoking quotes which demonstrate how much Argyle has improved as an author.
Consequently, Argyle fleshes out the world even more and gives the reader some much-needed answers about the magic system, the gods and the wastelanders. I was pretty surprised by some of Argyle’s decisions regarding world-building!
I also have to praise Argyle’s character work. I was filled with excitement and sadness as I was nearing the end of Bonds of Chaos since I knew I would have to say goodbye to characters to whom I had become so attached. Out of all the characters in this series, Alverax is definitely my favourite. Alverax’s character arc is terrific and so satisfying! Although I am glad to have read this series, reading the last chapter also felt bittersweet.
However, I felt like the first 100 pages of this book weren’t as compelling as the rest. While the other books jumped around from location to location, which added to more variety, this book starts with the whole main cast being together. It almost felt like we only followed one storyline for the first 100 pages. However, this is a very minor criticism since I did enjoy this book as a whole immensely.
So what are my concluding thoughts? I would highly recommend this series to anyone that is a fan of epic fantasy, especially fans of John Gwynne and Brandon Sanderson. Threadlight series is a riveting, action-packed, compelling fantasy story that will have the reader turning the pages from start to finish. Threadlight is one of the best self-published series I have ever read. I will definitely be picking up whatever Argyle writes next!
A special thanks to Zack Argyle for an arc in exchange for an honest review.
4.5 / 5 stars
Thanks to my Patreons Erin, Peturious, Blake, Mel, Melissa and Áron Sofus.
August 6, 2025
Well this was some series 🤌
First thing to note Alverax. Absolute standout. Didn't think he'd become my favourite character, but here we are, a charismatic, compelling, and magnetic character.
The worldbuilding was top tier. Rich, layered, and dripping with lore.
The Magic system was tight and consistent, with real consequences.
The pacing was straight fire. Barely a moment to breathe, but never felt lost.
The finale, I wanted another 100 pages to fully land all the arcs. But at the same time, that raw, slightly untamed edge to Argyle’s storytelling worked for me.
There was a couple of plot convenience moments that held this book back from a full 5, but the series as a whole is an easy 5 stars. One of the best indie fantasy series I’ve read. Bold, bloody, and brilliant.
First thing to note Alverax. Absolute standout. Didn't think he'd become my favourite character, but here we are, a charismatic, compelling, and magnetic character.
The worldbuilding was top tier. Rich, layered, and dripping with lore.
The Magic system was tight and consistent, with real consequences.
The pacing was straight fire. Barely a moment to breathe, but never felt lost.
The finale, I wanted another 100 pages to fully land all the arcs. But at the same time, that raw, slightly untamed edge to Argyle’s storytelling worked for me.
There was a couple of plot convenience moments that held this book back from a full 5, but the series as a whole is an easy 5 stars. One of the best indie fantasy series I’ve read. Bold, bloody, and brilliant.
August 25, 2022
Bonds of Chaos delivers a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy, with a lot of reveals and high action, but the things that have always stood out with Argyle's writing is his worldbuilding and character relationships, both of which are elevated even further in the final installment. I think Threadlight has such cool, distinct environments that center around nature and I can always visualize them very well.
But the core of the series is about family (lift your Coronas to the sky!) - blood & chosen family. At this point in the series, each of the major characters' relationships to each other is well defined, and continues to grow. Most of my favorite scene are just two characters talking. One scene has a married couple with one of them upset, the other realizes they're in the wrong, apologizes and promise to do better. Shocker, effective communication!
There were a lot of great lines in this book and I liked the way Argyle examines faith, fanaticism, found family, forgiveness (I promise all the F words are coincidental 😅) and the nature of sacrifice.
In particular, I thought the conclusion of all the character arcs in the series were satisfying, and the final conflict was resolved in an exciting and unforeseen way. The ending even had me pretty emotional, which is surprising for such a small book.
I would have liked this book to be like 50 pages longer to flesh out some of the secondary characters and conflicts, and there were a few lines of dialogue that were too cheesy for me, but overall, I had a blast reading this book!
Threadlight feels like snack-sized Sanderson-inspired books with a lot of heart and great characters. I highly recommend checking it out!
Also thanks to the author for the review copy!
9.5/10
But the core of the series is about family (lift your Coronas to the sky!) - blood & chosen family. At this point in the series, each of the major characters' relationships to each other is well defined, and continues to grow. Most of my favorite scene are just two characters talking. One scene has a married couple with one of them upset, the other realizes they're in the wrong, apologizes and promise to do better. Shocker, effective communication!
There were a lot of great lines in this book and I liked the way Argyle examines faith, fanaticism, found family, forgiveness (I promise all the F words are coincidental 😅) and the nature of sacrifice.
In particular, I thought the conclusion of all the character arcs in the series were satisfying, and the final conflict was resolved in an exciting and unforeseen way. The ending even had me pretty emotional, which is surprising for such a small book.
I would have liked this book to be like 50 pages longer to flesh out some of the secondary characters and conflicts, and there were a few lines of dialogue that were too cheesy for me, but overall, I had a blast reading this book!
Threadlight feels like snack-sized Sanderson-inspired books with a lot of heart and great characters. I highly recommend checking it out!
Also thanks to the author for the review copy!
9.5/10
November 20, 2022
Overall, I think this is a very strong conclusion to the Threadlight trilogy. One of the strengths of these books is how they approach writing female characters, family, and relationships. That remains true in Bonds of Chaos.
We get a very thoughtful look at motherhood and the assumptions made about women who are mothers being less capable. We get a bad-ass older woman (love her!). And this even spends some time on how men feeling they need to do everything themselves can be really harmful. It's cool to see that kind of thing in an epic fantasy story and the characters are really fantastic. In terms of pacing, I really enjoy the balance of high-action scenes with quieter, more intimate moments between characters. This gives me the perfect mix of plot, action, and deep character development that I'm looking for.
The ending is where I have slightly mixed feelings. On one hand, I think this does a great job of tying up threads (ha!) and delivering a satisfying climax and resolution. However, I don't love the implications of the specific choice of how to do that. I can't talk about this without spoilers, so here is your warning for major ending spoilers. If you don't want to be spoiled, just know I don't think the problems with this were intentional, but I still think they need to be discussed. The audio narration for this continues to be incredible! I received an audio review copy of this book from the author, all opinions are my own.
***************SPOILERS AHEAD***************
The way the villainous "gods" are ultimately defeated is through the Wastelanders all (except a few very young children) choosing to sacrifice their lives. Now the specifics of the setup make it so that you can say they would have died anyway, but we still end up with essentially the genocide of a marginalized group being necessary for the survival of everyone else. I suspect that was not the intent of the author in how it was written, but that is how it comes across. Added to the fact that character of mixed heritage ends up being the one to be the "king" of their hivemind and unite them against the false gods...it ends up feeling a bit like white saviorism.
Again, I don't think that was the intent, but this maybe could have benefitted from an indigenous sensitivity reader. I think there was a way to still have themes of sacrifice for the greater good without doing it this way. There is a lot to like in this book and what Argyle does well, he does very well. But I don't know that the implications of this ending were fully thought through.
We get a very thoughtful look at motherhood and the assumptions made about women who are mothers being less capable. We get a bad-ass older woman (love her!). And this even spends some time on how men feeling they need to do everything themselves can be really harmful. It's cool to see that kind of thing in an epic fantasy story and the characters are really fantastic. In terms of pacing, I really enjoy the balance of high-action scenes with quieter, more intimate moments between characters. This gives me the perfect mix of plot, action, and deep character development that I'm looking for.
The ending is where I have slightly mixed feelings. On one hand, I think this does a great job of tying up threads (ha!) and delivering a satisfying climax and resolution. However, I don't love the implications of the specific choice of how to do that. I can't talk about this without spoilers, so here is your warning for major ending spoilers. If you don't want to be spoiled, just know I don't think the problems with this were intentional, but I still think they need to be discussed. The audio narration for this continues to be incredible! I received an audio review copy of this book from the author, all opinions are my own.
***************SPOILERS AHEAD***************
The way the villainous "gods" are ultimately defeated is through the Wastelanders all (except a few very young children) choosing to sacrifice their lives. Now the specifics of the setup make it so that you can say they would have died anyway, but we still end up with essentially the genocide of a marginalized group being necessary for the survival of everyone else. I suspect that was not the intent of the author in how it was written, but that is how it comes across. Added to the fact that character of mixed heritage ends up being the one to be the "king" of their hivemind and unite them against the false gods...it ends up feeling a bit like white saviorism.
Again, I don't think that was the intent, but this maybe could have benefitted from an indigenous sensitivity reader. I think there was a way to still have themes of sacrifice for the greater good without doing it this way. There is a lot to like in this book and what Argyle does well, he does very well. But I don't know that the implications of this ending were fully thought through.
August 1, 2022
A fast paced powerhouse of modern fantasy!!! Out characters have come together and been FORGED INTO FAMILY!!! At its core this is a story about love, acceptance, and forgiveness. While those themes effect the characters quite a bit. What really stands out is the pacing. Plot points and lore drops come at you fast.
The characters continue to delight as their relationships evolve. Chrys is still my favorite and Roshaw steals the show in this one though. Exploring the relationship he has with Al is something I can latch onto and get me invested in what is happening.
One critique on do have is when characters from book 1 show up I tend to stop and go who is this again. It’s not a huge issue I just wish they had been woven into the narrative a bit more evenly. Otherwise it thought enjoy Bonds of Chaos and cannot wait to read more Zack Argyle.
Video review to come!
The characters continue to delight as their relationships evolve. Chrys is still my favorite and Roshaw steals the show in this one though. Exploring the relationship he has with Al is something I can latch onto and get me invested in what is happening.
One critique on do have is when characters from book 1 show up I tend to stop and go who is this again. It’s not a huge issue I just wish they had been woven into the narrative a bit more evenly. Otherwise it thought enjoy Bonds of Chaos and cannot wait to read more Zack Argyle.
Video review to come!
August 9, 2022
Please read my review at the link below:
https://escapistbookcompany.com/2022/...
Thank you for taking the time to read my review. As always, happy reading and Stay Great!!
https://escapistbookcompany.com/2022/...
Thank you for taking the time to read my review. As always, happy reading and Stay Great!!
June 7, 2023
Great ending of the trilogy
August 22, 2022
5/5 Stars
I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
After finishing Stones of Light, I wondered if Zack Argyle would stick the landing with Bonds of Chaos. Stones of Light increased in skill with both the writing, and storytelling. Could Zack do it again with the conclusion? Yes, yes, yes! Not only did he nail it, but he did it expertly.
Bonds of Chaos is the final installment in The Threadlight trilogy and what an ending! There was great action, thought provoking scenes, high stakes and much more.
Bonds of Chaos opens with “The Story So Far” giving a recap of both Voice of War and Stones of Light. We pick up shortly after the events of Stones of Light with a heart stopping first chapter and quickly reconnect with our main cast of characters.
In just a short time, the characters personalities, their relationships, and struggles are explored in more depth. The author builds their relationships, tests the characters resolves, and creates a family, all mixed into a fast-paced story. While I enjoyed the characters in the first two books in the trilogy, they truly shine here as their character arcs come to an end.
Not only that, but this also has the best representation of parenthood, from a variety of angles/ages, that I’ve read. We see strong female and male characters, young and old, all of which are well developed.
The world building and magic systems are further explored and to say there were several impactful moments, would be an understatement. This explored sacrifice, self-discovery, found family, and had memorable characters.
Bonds of Chaos left me speechless and full of emotions. A satisfying conclusion that may result in a book hangover. The Threadlight trilogy and author have quickly become one of my favourites to date. If you’ve been looking for a self-published fantasy series to try, I can’t recommend this one enough.
I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
After finishing Stones of Light, I wondered if Zack Argyle would stick the landing with Bonds of Chaos. Stones of Light increased in skill with both the writing, and storytelling. Could Zack do it again with the conclusion? Yes, yes, yes! Not only did he nail it, but he did it expertly.
Bonds of Chaos is the final installment in The Threadlight trilogy and what an ending! There was great action, thought provoking scenes, high stakes and much more.
Bonds of Chaos opens with “The Story So Far” giving a recap of both Voice of War and Stones of Light. We pick up shortly after the events of Stones of Light with a heart stopping first chapter and quickly reconnect with our main cast of characters.
In just a short time, the characters personalities, their relationships, and struggles are explored in more depth. The author builds their relationships, tests the characters resolves, and creates a family, all mixed into a fast-paced story. While I enjoyed the characters in the first two books in the trilogy, they truly shine here as their character arcs come to an end.
Not only that, but this also has the best representation of parenthood, from a variety of angles/ages, that I’ve read. We see strong female and male characters, young and old, all of which are well developed.
The world building and magic systems are further explored and to say there were several impactful moments, would be an understatement. This explored sacrifice, self-discovery, found family, and had memorable characters.
Bonds of Chaos left me speechless and full of emotions. A satisfying conclusion that may result in a book hangover. The Threadlight trilogy and author have quickly become one of my favourites to date. If you’ve been looking for a self-published fantasy series to try, I can’t recommend this one enough.
March 20, 2024
Bonds of Chaos by Zack Argyle is the compelling finale in a series that got ever more epic.
While I had some niggles with the first book, Argyle definitely gets better with each book, and so this third book is a very solid read!
There's a good mix of friendships, family, found family and bonding, gripping action and an epic world. For me the balance was stuck really well, and the switches between slower and fast paced scenes kept me glued to the pages, or rather to my headphones.
Good characters, intriguing world building, unpredictable twists and a satisfying conclusion to the plot, what more could I have asked for?
While I had some niggles with the first book, Argyle definitely gets better with each book, and so this third book is a very solid read!
There's a good mix of friendships, family, found family and bonding, gripping action and an epic world. For me the balance was stuck really well, and the switches between slower and fast paced scenes kept me glued to the pages, or rather to my headphones.
Good characters, intriguing world building, unpredictable twists and a satisfying conclusion to the plot, what more could I have asked for?
December 9, 2022
Bloody brilliant! Listening to the Threadlight trilogy was an experience. I loved every decision made in this book and it was executed marvelously.
Argyle nails the series finale. Adam Gold (audio book narrator) firmly stands in my top audio performances of all time. The perfect match for the story.
Argyle nails the series finale. Adam Gold (audio book narrator) firmly stands in my top audio performances of all time. The perfect match for the story.
September 2, 2022
A satisfying conclusion to the gripping and entertaining Threadlight trilogy.
September 28, 2023
5.0 stars—-
Self-publishing at its best, this was a great ending to the series. Plot points and unanswered questions were answered, characters had satisfying arcs, and action throughout. This book was top-tier because of the character relationships and how they slowly became a family.
This whole trilogy is 1 credit on Audible last time I checked. Insane value, and definitely worth the pick-up.
Self-publishing at its best, this was a great ending to the series. Plot points and unanswered questions were answered, characters had satisfying arcs, and action throughout. This book was top-tier because of the character relationships and how they slowly became a family.
This whole trilogy is 1 credit on Audible last time I checked. Insane value, and definitely worth the pick-up.
February 26, 2023
Adventurous, challenging, dark, emotional, funny,
hopeful, inspiring, mysterious, reflective, sad, and tense.
Medium-paced
Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75 ⭐
The third book in a series is either lauded a masterpiece or a failure, which I understand, but don't agree with. This last book stands on the hard work done in the previous two books...and it does it wonderfully.
The characters that we meet in this story, were sown in the previous books...and their journey was completed in this one.
Yes, we thought the story was going to go ONE way, but it veered and went ANOTHER direction (but...it was the correct decision IMO).
I really loved this trilogy and expecially this book. The direction it went was a surprise for me...and I'm curious what others feel about it.
I feel there are still stories to tell with these great characters and this very interesting world that he's made.
SPOILERY comments below 👇
Chrys was/is the main character. He feels the weight of that placement ever so much in this story. He's not perfect and I like that about him. He's just trying to do his best, though he couldn't have gotten this far...without his wife and the "found family" of all the great characters that surrounded him in this adventure.
Iriel came into her own in this story. She WAS just the wife of Chrys and mother of Ayden...which we thought was the most important, but she's a badass and someone that stands on her own...and gets sh*t done.
Laurel/Asher were the heroes of this story, though many in THIS world will never realize it. I also feel that their sacrifice was powerful and obviously well worth it, but for THEM, they really didn't know IF it was going to work...and I thought that THAT was the most impressive...for Laurel...for she was a person that struggled in making the RIGHT decisions in her life, but thankfully for this one, she had Asher to help her.
Willow was an interesting woman. A woman out of time, is how I think of her. There is an actress that kept coming to my mind...which is weird, for that rarely happens. The actress that I visualized is Samantha Bond from Downton Abbey. She played Lady Rosamund. I think she would be a perfect Willow.
Alverax made so many mistakes in his life, but because of brotherhood and him finding his father...which wiped away the image that he had of his father from his mind, he was able to become a good man and a leader. Really liked his character progression.
Xuçan was total surprise. The bond that he and Alevrax had was/is cool. A true melding of equals, to make a doublely great character force...and i like how the author made this work in the world.
Rhoshaw being the father that had been maligned by Alverax through the first two books, and we come to find him in the most in auspicious ways (on the boat with Chrys and his merry band). Loved that cliffhanger of a sequence.
I really did love this book series. I know when they're over, we should be glad for what we've had...but I want more. I'm sure Zack Argyle is on to other stories, with other characters...but I do feel there is still some great stories to tell in THIS world and I hope he revisits them (soon).
I want to know IF the Threadlight re-emerge? Was there ONLY one place, or was it in multiple places? I have questions.
hopeful, inspiring, mysterious, reflective, sad, and tense.
Medium-paced
Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75 ⭐
The third book in a series is either lauded a masterpiece or a failure, which I understand, but don't agree with. This last book stands on the hard work done in the previous two books...and it does it wonderfully.
The characters that we meet in this story, were sown in the previous books...and their journey was completed in this one.
Yes, we thought the story was going to go ONE way, but it veered and went ANOTHER direction (but...it was the correct decision IMO).
I really loved this trilogy and expecially this book. The direction it went was a surprise for me...and I'm curious what others feel about it.
I feel there are still stories to tell with these great characters and this very interesting world that he's made.
SPOILERY comments below 👇
Chrys was/is the main character. He feels the weight of that placement ever so much in this story. He's not perfect and I like that about him. He's just trying to do his best, though he couldn't have gotten this far...without his wife and the "found family" of all the great characters that surrounded him in this adventure.
Iriel came into her own in this story. She WAS just the wife of Chrys and mother of Ayden...which we thought was the most important, but she's a badass and someone that stands on her own...and gets sh*t done.
Laurel/Asher were the heroes of this story, though many in THIS world will never realize it. I also feel that their sacrifice was powerful and obviously well worth it, but for THEM, they really didn't know IF it was going to work...and I thought that THAT was the most impressive...for Laurel...for she was a person that struggled in making the RIGHT decisions in her life, but thankfully for this one, she had Asher to help her.
Willow was an interesting woman. A woman out of time, is how I think of her. There is an actress that kept coming to my mind...which is weird, for that rarely happens. The actress that I visualized is Samantha Bond from Downton Abbey. She played Lady Rosamund. I think she would be a perfect Willow.
Alverax made so many mistakes in his life, but because of brotherhood and him finding his father...which wiped away the image that he had of his father from his mind, he was able to become a good man and a leader. Really liked his character progression.
Xuçan was total surprise. The bond that he and Alevrax had was/is cool. A true melding of equals, to make a doublely great character force...and i like how the author made this work in the world.
Rhoshaw being the father that had been maligned by Alverax through the first two books, and we come to find him in the most in auspicious ways (on the boat with Chrys and his merry band). Loved that cliffhanger of a sequence.
I really did love this book series. I know when they're over, we should be glad for what we've had...but I want more. I'm sure Zack Argyle is on to other stories, with other characters...but I do feel there is still some great stories to tell in THIS world and I hope he revisits them (soon).
I want to know IF the Threadlight re-emerge? Was there ONLY one place, or was it in multiple places? I have questions.
August 25, 2022
For me the ending of a series is bitter-sweet. It's always hard to say goodbye to beloved characters that I spent so much time with, knowing that I will never meet them for the first time again. But it is slightly easier whith a satisfying ending and Bonds of Chaos delivers. To say that Zack nailed the ending is an understatement. He went above and beyond.
The book took me on an emotional rollercoaster from page one. I am genuinely amazed how is it possible to stuff so much feeling in such a relatively short book in a way that doesn't hurt the plot. I smiled, laughed and shed a tear or two countless times.
Zack didn't drop the ball for even a second. The book kicks off full speed and there is barely any breather. The pacing is excellent, the plot having twists and turns that kept me at the edge of my seat. Plot and character arcs are masterfully balanced in this book.
Oh, and those characters! There is just something magical in the way these characters are written. They are so authentic. Their reactions to their circumstances are exactly what you would expect and that's why they feel so natural. And this goes for the relationships between them too. They just feel so real. The bonds between these characters are wonderfully depicted throughout the whole series but they shine exceptionally in this book.
Lastly, I have to mention the chapter length. They are short enough to lure you into the false impression that you can read just one more chapter...then BAM! 3am!
I didn't think I could love this series even more and yet...here we are. This is how you finish a series!
The book took me on an emotional rollercoaster from page one. I am genuinely amazed how is it possible to stuff so much feeling in such a relatively short book in a way that doesn't hurt the plot. I smiled, laughed and shed a tear or two countless times.
Zack didn't drop the ball for even a second. The book kicks off full speed and there is barely any breather. The pacing is excellent, the plot having twists and turns that kept me at the edge of my seat. Plot and character arcs are masterfully balanced in this book.
Oh, and those characters! There is just something magical in the way these characters are written. They are so authentic. Their reactions to their circumstances are exactly what you would expect and that's why they feel so natural. And this goes for the relationships between them too. They just feel so real. The bonds between these characters are wonderfully depicted throughout the whole series but they shine exceptionally in this book.
Lastly, I have to mention the chapter length. They are short enough to lure you into the false impression that you can read just one more chapter...then BAM! 3am!
I didn't think I could love this series even more and yet...here we are. This is how you finish a series!
November 2, 2023
This is Threadlight book 3, and the finale in the trilogy. I was fortunate enough to not only be picked for the ARC group, but also for the special edition physical ARC.
Firstly, this book is brilliant, and a wonderful conclusion to the trilogy. If you remember or check out my review of book two (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...), I said the author had amped up the action, dialogue, and emotion…well he’s done so again. And this is once again leaps and bounds better than the second! (Which was also a 5* read.) The author really subverted my expectations for the finale, nothing was the easy route, and every time I thought I had it figured out, I was proven wrong. The multi-perspective changing of chapters made the pace absolutely explosive at the climax. Grip the edge of your seat…fall off anyway…continue reading from the floor.
Secondly, the amount of emotion this author drives home is insane. Did you not see this side character for a book and a half? Did you just meet this one, or this creature, in this one? Don’t care, doesn’t matter, prepare for tears. I’m so impressed because you can tell the author cares, these characters are his own. Therefore, the reader feels it too, and he destroys us.
Personally, a great conclusion and 5/5*. I will probably also listen to it when the audio drops to hear Adam Gold conclude his fantastic narration. I’ve got my eyes on the signed hardcover trilogy now for my collection!
Firstly, this book is brilliant, and a wonderful conclusion to the trilogy. If you remember or check out my review of book two (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...), I said the author had amped up the action, dialogue, and emotion…well he’s done so again. And this is once again leaps and bounds better than the second! (Which was also a 5* read.) The author really subverted my expectations for the finale, nothing was the easy route, and every time I thought I had it figured out, I was proven wrong. The multi-perspective changing of chapters made the pace absolutely explosive at the climax. Grip the edge of your seat…fall off anyway…continue reading from the floor.
Secondly, the amount of emotion this author drives home is insane. Did you not see this side character for a book and a half? Did you just meet this one, or this creature, in this one? Don’t care, doesn’t matter, prepare for tears. I’m so impressed because you can tell the author cares, these characters are his own. Therefore, the reader feels it too, and he destroys us.
Personally, a great conclusion and 5/5*. I will probably also listen to it when the audio drops to hear Adam Gold conclude his fantastic narration. I’ve got my eyes on the signed hardcover trilogy now for my collection!
November 19, 2022
This was a great finishing book with a better ending! Some of the strongest pages were the first 3... and the last 3! If you crave friendship and family with you monsters and magic - GIVE THREADLIGHT A TRY!
July 28, 2022
Wow! A thrilling ride from start to finish, and a satisfying conclusion to one of the best series I've read in ages.
Bonds of Chaos has been one of my most anticipated reads of this year, after reading Voice of War and Stones of Light back to back in April. After requesting an ARC, I was lucky enough to receive one from the author.
So, how do you successfully concude a series in just three books? This is how!
There's no filler, just killer storytelling. The pace is frenetic, but there are many moments spent with the characters along the way, where relationships are reforged and tested.
My favourite character arc of all of them is that of Alverax. His story has been the most interesting and diverse. I think he could now be up there with some of my all-time favourite characters.
The mix of POVs in this book particularly is diverse. There are strong male and female characters, both young and old. Despite there being multiple POVs in this book, you don't realise it. The way it is written, plotted and paced, allows you to follow the characters and the action as you are spwept away on this epic quest to save the world.
The world building and magical system is also explored more. The magical aspects are brilliantly threaded throughout the series as a whole, as it has a huge part to play in the world and with its characters.
I will end this review by saying that this is an extremely satisfying conclusion to the series. Bonds of Chaos has truly cemented this series and author as one of my favourites.
Bonds of Chaos has been one of my most anticipated reads of this year, after reading Voice of War and Stones of Light back to back in April. After requesting an ARC, I was lucky enough to receive one from the author.
So, how do you successfully concude a series in just three books? This is how!
There's no filler, just killer storytelling. The pace is frenetic, but there are many moments spent with the characters along the way, where relationships are reforged and tested.
My favourite character arc of all of them is that of Alverax. His story has been the most interesting and diverse. I think he could now be up there with some of my all-time favourite characters.
The mix of POVs in this book particularly is diverse. There are strong male and female characters, both young and old. Despite there being multiple POVs in this book, you don't realise it. The way it is written, plotted and paced, allows you to follow the characters and the action as you are spwept away on this epic quest to save the world.
The world building and magical system is also explored more. The magical aspects are brilliantly threaded throughout the series as a whole, as it has a huge part to play in the world and with its characters.
I will end this review by saying that this is an extremely satisfying conclusion to the series. Bonds of Chaos has truly cemented this series and author as one of my favourites.
Want to read
December 16, 2021I am unbelievably excited for this book!
September 28, 2023
“If there is one truth that I hold above all others, it is that the world cannot be made better without sacrifice. But I’m not a warrior. I’m not even a threadweaver. If I wanted to make the world a better place, I had to sacrifice my life in a different way.”
I ended my review of Book 2 of Threadlight (Stones of light) saying ‘this has become the yardstick against which I’ll measure all other middle books in a trilogy now and I fully expect Book 3 to be epic.’ And Zack Argyle delivers, phenomenally in fact. This book is my answer to the question – Which book has made you cry publicly? It is certainly not an embellishment when I say I was actually crying in the Bellevue Kelsey Creek Starbucks sneak reading this book while running work simulations. Hell, I even teared up going through my highlights looking for a quote to add to this review.
The book starts with the city of Felia dealing with the aftermath of Book 2 climax and is absolutely brutal, setting up the tone for what’s to come. Also, I read it via audio + kindle and as with Book 1 & 2, Adam Gold has done a fantastic job with the narration. I have traveled for two books with these characters and within the first 2 chapters my thought was how little time I have remaining with these characters.
“With all that they had been through he’d begun to see that hope could not be trusted. Hope was a drifter, waving with one hand and stabbing with the other.”
As I crossed the 50-page mark, I felt the going was a bit slow and nothing big was happening. This however, lasted only for a jiffy. At just 25% of the book, the big baddies caught up with our MCs. Within a hundred pages, the one trump card that the heroes had at winning & saving the world in the process was destroyed. And the stakes just kept getting higher from there. I had a moment where I was yelling ‘OMG Zack Argyle, what did you just do?’ (In the best way) in Chapter 34 during Book 2. In Bonds of Chaos, that moment arrived much earlier- at Chapter 13 itself.
The Threadlight trilogy is an epic fantasy series and there’s no dearth of fantasy elements- there’s an amazing (hard) magic system, a special sword, animal companions, hidden cities, multiple unique races, invisible enemies, etc. But to me, the heart of it is a family saga (found and blood – both) and their interpersonal relationship. I’ve not seen such healthy examples and different relationship aspects explored in an epic fantasy so well: Husband and Wife, Mother- Son, Father- Son, and the group dynamic between them when they have to collectively achieve something; the kinship, solidarity, reconciliation, cooperation, the non-disclosure, the self-disclosure… Basically you name a family dynamic, the author has addressed it.
“As a man,” _______ continued, standing motionless. “No, as a friend to one who has brought me hope in the darkness, I offer my life for yours.”
I’ve praised Zack’s writing skills in handling tension between the action scenes and the timing between POV switches in my first two book reviews. In this one, I have to applaud how clean his writing is. There is zero bloat. The author’s writing is very careful and measured- every paragraph, every sentence, every word matters and serves a purpose. And it is so accessible as well. I don’t know how to properly describe it but the flow of it is so smooth too, before you know it you have crossed so many chapters.
The final third of the book is on a whole new level. Some of the strongest POV switching ever. There is one scene during a war where they had to cut off ropes of a bridge and I am pretty sure I wasn’t breathing at that point. So much delicious tension. Plus, the author ups the emotional ante by placing an incredible, tender emotional moment right there (For the people who have read it, I’m talking about the conversation between Willow and Eleandra. For the people who haven’t read it yet, these two are side characters with one of them having very limited ̶s̶c̶r̶e̶e̶n̶ page time, but this was the best moment in a book full of awesome moments, just love it.)
For the final book in an epic fantasy trilogy, this book is relatively short (~350 pages) but the number of themes packed in it is crazy: religious fanaticism, parent-child relationships, found family, greater good, so many plot twists (basically the heroes’ aces in the hole are destroyed three times, one at the very end.) Every chapter from chapter 40 made me tear up and I was basically looking at the page count and wondering oh there’s only 50 pages left, oh there’s only 40 pages left now, how is he going to tie everything up. But he ties everything up masterfully and a lot of kudos to that.
It would be very remiss of me to end this review without mentioning the selflessness and sacrifice on display in this book. So many of the characters are so innately good. It is extremely hard to pick a favorite out of the 3 main characters. While I do like Chrys the most, Laurel is definitely the best. With such a strong and good conclusion, the Threadlight trilogy easily becomes one of my top favorite fantasy series of all time. Zack Argyle does more than just entertain with Bonds of Chaos, he inspires.
I ended my review of Book 2 of Threadlight (Stones of light) saying ‘this has become the yardstick against which I’ll measure all other middle books in a trilogy now and I fully expect Book 3 to be epic.’ And Zack Argyle delivers, phenomenally in fact. This book is my answer to the question – Which book has made you cry publicly? It is certainly not an embellishment when I say I was actually crying in the Bellevue Kelsey Creek Starbucks sneak reading this book while running work simulations. Hell, I even teared up going through my highlights looking for a quote to add to this review.
The book starts with the city of Felia dealing with the aftermath of Book 2 climax and is absolutely brutal, setting up the tone for what’s to come. Also, I read it via audio + kindle and as with Book 1 & 2, Adam Gold has done a fantastic job with the narration. I have traveled for two books with these characters and within the first 2 chapters my thought was how little time I have remaining with these characters.
“With all that they had been through he’d begun to see that hope could not be trusted. Hope was a drifter, waving with one hand and stabbing with the other.”
As I crossed the 50-page mark, I felt the going was a bit slow and nothing big was happening. This however, lasted only for a jiffy. At just 25% of the book, the big baddies caught up with our MCs. Within a hundred pages, the one trump card that the heroes had at winning & saving the world in the process was destroyed. And the stakes just kept getting higher from there. I had a moment where I was yelling ‘OMG Zack Argyle, what did you just do?’ (In the best way) in Chapter 34 during Book 2. In Bonds of Chaos, that moment arrived much earlier- at Chapter 13 itself.
The Threadlight trilogy is an epic fantasy series and there’s no dearth of fantasy elements- there’s an amazing (hard) magic system, a special sword, animal companions, hidden cities, multiple unique races, invisible enemies, etc. But to me, the heart of it is a family saga (found and blood – both) and their interpersonal relationship. I’ve not seen such healthy examples and different relationship aspects explored in an epic fantasy so well: Husband and Wife, Mother- Son, Father- Son, and the group dynamic between them when they have to collectively achieve something; the kinship, solidarity, reconciliation, cooperation, the non-disclosure, the self-disclosure… Basically you name a family dynamic, the author has addressed it.
“As a man,” _______ continued, standing motionless. “No, as a friend to one who has brought me hope in the darkness, I offer my life for yours.”
I’ve praised Zack’s writing skills in handling tension between the action scenes and the timing between POV switches in my first two book reviews. In this one, I have to applaud how clean his writing is. There is zero bloat. The author’s writing is very careful and measured- every paragraph, every sentence, every word matters and serves a purpose. And it is so accessible as well. I don’t know how to properly describe it but the flow of it is so smooth too, before you know it you have crossed so many chapters.
The final third of the book is on a whole new level. Some of the strongest POV switching ever. There is one scene during a war where they had to cut off ropes of a bridge and I am pretty sure I wasn’t breathing at that point. So much delicious tension. Plus, the author ups the emotional ante by placing an incredible, tender emotional moment right there (For the people who have read it, I’m talking about the conversation between Willow and Eleandra. For the people who haven’t read it yet, these two are side characters with one of them having very limited ̶s̶c̶r̶e̶e̶n̶ page time, but this was the best moment in a book full of awesome moments, just love it.)
For the final book in an epic fantasy trilogy, this book is relatively short (~350 pages) but the number of themes packed in it is crazy: religious fanaticism, parent-child relationships, found family, greater good, so many plot twists (basically the heroes’ aces in the hole are destroyed three times, one at the very end.) Every chapter from chapter 40 made me tear up and I was basically looking at the page count and wondering oh there’s only 50 pages left, oh there’s only 40 pages left now, how is he going to tie everything up. But he ties everything up masterfully and a lot of kudos to that.
It would be very remiss of me to end this review without mentioning the selflessness and sacrifice on display in this book. So many of the characters are so innately good. It is extremely hard to pick a favorite out of the 3 main characters. While I do like Chrys the most, Laurel is definitely the best. With such a strong and good conclusion, the Threadlight trilogy easily becomes one of my top favorite fantasy series of all time. Zack Argyle does more than just entertain with Bonds of Chaos, he inspires.
July 28, 2022
Disclaimer: ARC provided by the wonderful Zack Argyle in exchange for my review
“Who said we were heroes? I see us more as the world’s toilet stick, and the Heralds are just diamond crusted shit stains.”
Bonds of Chaos oh man oh man where do I even begin. Actually scratch that I know where to begin Zack WTF was with that last line in the ending….. :)
First of all I love that Zack included a little flash back at the beginning of the book to help everyone remember what happened and where we left off. Granted it has only been a few months since I read the first two books but I really enjoyed this as it helped set the vibe right from the start.
BoC in a lot of ways reminded me of vinyl records in that this book really has two stories it's telling you so depending on which side your listening to the track list is going to be different.
One the one side you have the epic conclusion to what this whole series has been building up towards with the Heroes facing off against the Evil Gods in a fight for the ages.
As awesome as that storyline is, you also have the origin story, the one that brings it all together. Honestly that was the part of the story that left me gasping in shock on more than one occasion and quite frankly for me was my favorite part of this book.
I also want to highlight one of my favorite aspects of this series and that is the strong emphasis on family. Not just the family that you are born into but the family you make through strong friendships as you journey through this crazy thing called life. Zack nailed it by showing that family is so much more than just sharing some DNA and there is even a moment when Chrys acknowledges how this unlikely group of heroes have become just that: a family. Also this book/series continuity shows how powerful the feeling of having hope can be. I think we can all use a little more hope in our lives especially after what we all went through these past few years in the real world.
I absolutely loved my time in this world and this last book left me with a number of new questions while answering some I had been holding on to for awhile. I’m sad to see it close but I’m also really excited to see what fantastic world Zack creates next. .
“Who said we were heroes? I see us more as the world’s toilet stick, and the Heralds are just diamond crusted shit stains.”
Bonds of Chaos oh man oh man where do I even begin. Actually scratch that I know where to begin Zack WTF was with that last line in the ending….. :)
First of all I love that Zack included a little flash back at the beginning of the book to help everyone remember what happened and where we left off. Granted it has only been a few months since I read the first two books but I really enjoyed this as it helped set the vibe right from the start.
BoC in a lot of ways reminded me of vinyl records in that this book really has two stories it's telling you so depending on which side your listening to the track list is going to be different.
One the one side you have the epic conclusion to what this whole series has been building up towards with the Heroes facing off against the Evil Gods in a fight for the ages.
As awesome as that storyline is, you also have the origin story, the one that brings it all together. Honestly that was the part of the story that left me gasping in shock on more than one occasion and quite frankly for me was my favorite part of this book.
I also want to highlight one of my favorite aspects of this series and that is the strong emphasis on family. Not just the family that you are born into but the family you make through strong friendships as you journey through this crazy thing called life. Zack nailed it by showing that family is so much more than just sharing some DNA and there is even a moment when Chrys acknowledges how this unlikely group of heroes have become just that: a family. Also this book/series continuity shows how powerful the feeling of having hope can be. I think we can all use a little more hope in our lives especially after what we all went through these past few years in the real world.
I absolutely loved my time in this world and this last book left me with a number of new questions while answering some I had been holding on to for awhile. I’m sad to see it close but I’m also really excited to see what fantastic world Zack creates next. .
August 9, 2022
Bonds of Chaos was my most anticipated book of 2022 after loving Voice of War and Stones of Light so much.
This final instalment had me on the edge of seat and biting my nails numerous times throughout. It's as well paced as the first two instalments and continues to develop the found family bonds that were delightful in the previous two instalments.
I thought I knew how this would go but Argyle sent us curve balls left, right and centre. I laughed, I cheered, I gasped and I even got a little teary at the end. I fell in love with each of the characters amd their arcs, all the way to the satisfying close of this book and series.
Zack Argyle nailed the ending and cannot wait to see what he brings us next. This book has solidified itself as of my favourite series of all time
I was provided an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Which actually just means I begged and pestered Zack Argyle until he relented and gave me an ARC to make me go away. All views are my own and this is my honest review.
This final instalment had me on the edge of seat and biting my nails numerous times throughout. It's as well paced as the first two instalments and continues to develop the found family bonds that were delightful in the previous two instalments.
I thought I knew how this would go but Argyle sent us curve balls left, right and centre. I laughed, I cheered, I gasped and I even got a little teary at the end. I fell in love with each of the characters amd their arcs, all the way to the satisfying close of this book and series.
Zack Argyle nailed the ending and cannot wait to see what he brings us next. This book has solidified itself as of my favourite series of all time
I was provided an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Which actually just means I begged and pestered Zack Argyle until he relented and gave me an ARC to make me go away. All views are my own and this is my honest review.
September 5, 2022
I want more of this world, this books was great finale to the series, I went through all the emotions while reading it.
Characters, magic, worldbuilding, the stakes, everything is top tier!
Characters, magic, worldbuilding, the stakes, everything is top tier!
March 29, 2023
Follow me on Twitter: Twitter.com/wolfmantula
For more reviews, go to: https://wolfmantula.com/recent-posts/
MY ⭐️ RATING: 5/5
FORMAT: Advanced Reader Copy
I received an advanced reader copy, provided by the author for an honest review.
Firstly, thank you to Zack for letting me be a part of the ARC team on this novel! I was so excited when I was selected for this honor, especially for being selected to receive a physical copy!
This did not impact my review in any way.
I love the fantastic world and characters that Zack has created in the Threadlight series, starting with Voice of War, an SPFBO-6 finalist in 2020, that I put into my top reads of 2021. Then he followed it up with the incredible Stones of Light in 2021, and now sadly, the story is coming to it’s epic conclusion in 2022 with Bonds of Chaos. It has been one exciting ride through this series, and this final novel did not disappoint one bit! There was non-stop action, mind-blowing revelations, and beautifully vivid descriptions of the world as our heroes make their journey.
“No matter how dark the way may seem, there is always light beyond the bend, if you will take the steps to find it.”
Family is the main theme of this entire series, and it is reflected from the first chapter in Voice of War til the final chapter of Bonds of Chaos, and Zack does a fantastic job of driving that theme home. Chrys Valerian is such a fantastic character, he is the epitome of a man willing to do anything for his loved ones. Alverax, Willow, Roshaw, and Iriel are all also fantastic characters in their own right, but maybe my favorite characters of the series, is Laurel and her chromawolf Asher. I love them so much! Maybe because I love wolves and animal companions, but they are my favorites, and something about their bond is just magical! Speaking of the characters, Zack takes such care of his characters that he created, the development of each one of them throughout the series was truly amazing to see unfold all the way until the bitter-sweet ending. Something else I loved seeing, was all of the uses of threadlight by the characters throughout the story.
“Being the hero is never easy. But we don’t have to do it alone. All of us here, we’re in this together. Life or death. I don’t know about you, but no matter the outcome, there’s no one I’d rather try with.”
Bonds of Chaos is an inspiring story of sacrifice and triumph that was perfectly executed in every way. I said in my review of Stones of Light that Zack took some major strides as an author, and I have to say that he took an even bigger step here with how deep and how well connected the entire series was. All these small pieces planted early on in the first two books were masterfully weaved into the final story to create amazing reveals for a jaw-dropping conclusion. The anticipation to turn the page to see what was going to happen next to our heroes kept growing and growing.
“A friend once told me that people are like trees. The way I see it, it doesn’t matter how many broken branches you have, or how many leaves you’ve lost. If a tree is standing, it’s no less whole than the trees beside it.”
Finally, Something I love that Zack does in Stones of Light that he does once again, is add a “story so far” section. Aside from writing a great book, this might be the most important thing an author can do for their readers to help us get back into the world. Some may not need it, but for those of us that read 50+ books a year, this is a game-changer and should be a requirement for a series.
This is a story that will absolutely wreck your heart but at the same time, will make you walk away a better person.
You NEED to read this book and series!
This will make my best reads list at the end of the year.
For more reviews, go to: https://wolfmantula.com/recent-posts/
MY ⭐️ RATING: 5/5
FORMAT: Advanced Reader Copy
I received an advanced reader copy, provided by the author for an honest review.
Firstly, thank you to Zack for letting me be a part of the ARC team on this novel! I was so excited when I was selected for this honor, especially for being selected to receive a physical copy!
This did not impact my review in any way.
I love the fantastic world and characters that Zack has created in the Threadlight series, starting with Voice of War, an SPFBO-6 finalist in 2020, that I put into my top reads of 2021. Then he followed it up with the incredible Stones of Light in 2021, and now sadly, the story is coming to it’s epic conclusion in 2022 with Bonds of Chaos. It has been one exciting ride through this series, and this final novel did not disappoint one bit! There was non-stop action, mind-blowing revelations, and beautifully vivid descriptions of the world as our heroes make their journey.
“No matter how dark the way may seem, there is always light beyond the bend, if you will take the steps to find it.”
Family is the main theme of this entire series, and it is reflected from the first chapter in Voice of War til the final chapter of Bonds of Chaos, and Zack does a fantastic job of driving that theme home. Chrys Valerian is such a fantastic character, he is the epitome of a man willing to do anything for his loved ones. Alverax, Willow, Roshaw, and Iriel are all also fantastic characters in their own right, but maybe my favorite characters of the series, is Laurel and her chromawolf Asher. I love them so much! Maybe because I love wolves and animal companions, but they are my favorites, and something about their bond is just magical! Speaking of the characters, Zack takes such care of his characters that he created, the development of each one of them throughout the series was truly amazing to see unfold all the way until the bitter-sweet ending. Something else I loved seeing, was all of the uses of threadlight by the characters throughout the story.
“Being the hero is never easy. But we don’t have to do it alone. All of us here, we’re in this together. Life or death. I don’t know about you, but no matter the outcome, there’s no one I’d rather try with.”
Bonds of Chaos is an inspiring story of sacrifice and triumph that was perfectly executed in every way. I said in my review of Stones of Light that Zack took some major strides as an author, and I have to say that he took an even bigger step here with how deep and how well connected the entire series was. All these small pieces planted early on in the first two books were masterfully weaved into the final story to create amazing reveals for a jaw-dropping conclusion. The anticipation to turn the page to see what was going to happen next to our heroes kept growing and growing.
“A friend once told me that people are like trees. The way I see it, it doesn’t matter how many broken branches you have, or how many leaves you’ve lost. If a tree is standing, it’s no less whole than the trees beside it.”
Finally, Something I love that Zack does in Stones of Light that he does once again, is add a “story so far” section. Aside from writing a great book, this might be the most important thing an author can do for their readers to help us get back into the world. Some may not need it, but for those of us that read 50+ books a year, this is a game-changer and should be a requirement for a series.
This is a story that will absolutely wreck your heart but at the same time, will make you walk away a better person.
You NEED to read this book and series!
This will make my best reads list at the end of the year.
August 22, 2022
https://undertheradarsffbooks.com/202...
I recieved an ARC from the author in exchange for a honest review. When I finished Stones of Light last year, the ending left a sour taste in my mouth knowing I would have to wait a whole year to see how the story will end. Pain, grief, and fear are put on full display for our characters as they have to deal with the return of the heralds. Alverax may be the secret weapon to battle the heralds but his whole world just got spun upside down in the aftermath of book 2. Will our characters be up for the challenge? This will be a spoiler free review but I will be touching upon events from the previous novels.
Chrys is once again united with his family and free of the control of the Apogee. Having escaped the Endless Well with Willow and Roshaw, Chrys will need to use his knowlegde of the theoliths in order to defeat the heralds. Chrys may also need to seek an unfriendly alliance to gain as much support as possible. Laurel having been in the care of Alabella after her theolith was destroyed. Once again united with her chromawolf Asher, she plots to take her revenge on Alabella so that the heralds can’t use her powers. United with the crew once agin, Laurel is left with more questions than answers. Finally we have the obsidian threadlight user Alverax. Named the watchlord of Felia, Alverax is tasked with defending the Empress Jisenna from the deadly corespawn. The day is ultimatley saved when the heralds defeat the corespawn but kill the Empress. Now boarding a ship with his friends, Alverax is shocked to discover that his father Roshaw is alive.
The main takeaway I had when closing the last page is “This is how you end a trilogy!” With edge of your seat action and fast pacing, this is sure to be a story all fans of the series will love. I wanted to touch upon the main themes of this concluding volume as I feel that they are done extremely well. This first is the concept of making sacrifices and doing what needs to be done for the greater good. This is a phrase that I see as a reader time and time again but the physical and emotional ramifications of these choices are rarely seen to this degree. Pain will be felt on multiple levels. This also leads into the other theme of freewill. People are defined by the company they keep and the choices they make. The concept of freewill is played with very well in the novel to the point where I wasn’t sure who was calling the shots. The consequences of one wrong choices will have the most devastating effects of everyone around you. Job well done!
I started this series when it first came out over two years ago to its concluding volume about to be released. If you are looking for a fast paced series with morally grey characters and a fun but complex magic system than look no further. I look forward to the next series Zach Argyle will write but until that time, Congratualtions!
Cheers!
I recieved an ARC from the author in exchange for a honest review. When I finished Stones of Light last year, the ending left a sour taste in my mouth knowing I would have to wait a whole year to see how the story will end. Pain, grief, and fear are put on full display for our characters as they have to deal with the return of the heralds. Alverax may be the secret weapon to battle the heralds but his whole world just got spun upside down in the aftermath of book 2. Will our characters be up for the challenge? This will be a spoiler free review but I will be touching upon events from the previous novels.
Chrys is once again united with his family and free of the control of the Apogee. Having escaped the Endless Well with Willow and Roshaw, Chrys will need to use his knowlegde of the theoliths in order to defeat the heralds. Chrys may also need to seek an unfriendly alliance to gain as much support as possible. Laurel having been in the care of Alabella after her theolith was destroyed. Once again united with her chromawolf Asher, she plots to take her revenge on Alabella so that the heralds can’t use her powers. United with the crew once agin, Laurel is left with more questions than answers. Finally we have the obsidian threadlight user Alverax. Named the watchlord of Felia, Alverax is tasked with defending the Empress Jisenna from the deadly corespawn. The day is ultimatley saved when the heralds defeat the corespawn but kill the Empress. Now boarding a ship with his friends, Alverax is shocked to discover that his father Roshaw is alive.
The main takeaway I had when closing the last page is “This is how you end a trilogy!” With edge of your seat action and fast pacing, this is sure to be a story all fans of the series will love. I wanted to touch upon the main themes of this concluding volume as I feel that they are done extremely well. This first is the concept of making sacrifices and doing what needs to be done for the greater good. This is a phrase that I see as a reader time and time again but the physical and emotional ramifications of these choices are rarely seen to this degree. Pain will be felt on multiple levels. This also leads into the other theme of freewill. People are defined by the company they keep and the choices they make. The concept of freewill is played with very well in the novel to the point where I wasn’t sure who was calling the shots. The consequences of one wrong choices will have the most devastating effects of everyone around you. Job well done!
I started this series when it first came out over two years ago to its concluding volume about to be released. If you are looking for a fast paced series with morally grey characters and a fun but complex magic system than look no further. I look forward to the next series Zach Argyle will write but until that time, Congratualtions!
Cheers!
October 12, 2022
OH. MY. HEART.
I was not prepared for this book, and in fact I have started and restarted this review so many times, because it has made me think and feel so many things, and even now I’m not sure I can come close to capturing that. The end of a series is always somewhat bittersweet, because you want to see how the story ends, to enjoy the payoff for the arcs and threads that have led to this point. Yet at the same time it is a looming farewell to a world and its characters that you’ve spent so much time with. Threadlight is one of those series that makes that harder, because Argyle has done such a fantastic job of pulling you into the world, hooking you into the story and making you so invested in the characters that each book has felt like reuniting with old friends. And Bonds of Chaos has taken all of that to the next level, and it feels like Argyle has gone all out in this concluding part and it works – it hurts, it devastates on so many levels – and yet at the same time, THIS IS HOW YOU END A SERIES.
After the events in Stones of Light, this book was always going to start on a knife-edge. Our main characters are together again, but everything is splintering around them with the rise of the Heralds, and the ongoing threat to Aydin. As might therefore be expected, Bonds of Chaos hits the ground running as we re-join the story just after those events (and I must do a shoutout to the author for the story so far sections, although I enjoyed the excuse for a reread before diving into this one). The threat is immediately real and present, but so are the consequences from the events that have transpired previously, which means right from the beginning we get to enjoy the delight that is Argyle’s character work and the emotional depth that permeates every aspect of this book.
“A friend once told me that people are like trees. The way I see it, it doesn’t matter how many broken branches you have, or how many leaves you’ve lost. If a tree is standing, it’s no less whole than the trees beside it.”
I adore stories where we see consequences of previous events play out, not just in the world, but on a personal level in the characters; and given Argyle’s skill for creating wonderfully real and grounded characters, it’s not surprising to see it here. But the impact it had on me as a reader, but also the story
Seeing Alverax retreat under the weight of his grief and guilt about Jisenna, to his anger at finding his father alive, was a perfect way to combine all these elements and to give the story weight from the beginning. And again, it is that realism that is such a strong part of the characterisation in this series, because it would have been easy to have the reunion ease the tension, to focus on the joy of finding his father. But, it would have undermined so much about the character, about the state of the world – and for me, it set the tone of this book beautifully from page one. And it was also a chance to breathe, to catch up with all the characters, to see them come together and where they were now – and I loved seeing them rallying not just around Alverax, but around one another, and Laurel really shone for me here too.
It was also a demonstration that even among the heavier consequences, there were human moments of growth and connection, and understanding and hope, which is something that permeates the entire book.
‘There is nothing more dangerous than a measure of hope when the meal is war.’
Bonds of Chaos and indeed the series has such a depth of emotion and doesn’t hesitate to explore it; but it feels like this book delved deeper. In places, it felt almost philosophical in the questions that it asked, in the quandaries and choices that befell the characters, and that was incredibly fitting, because how else would people – regardless of who they are, react to events that threaten everything? What does hope mean in the face of a conflict that could destroy everything, and when the solution will come at great cost? What is the greater good and who gets to decide?
It also comes back to freewill – we’ve seen it through Crys and the Apogee, to those bound to the Heralds, through Laurel’s rebellion.
We also see the power of choice (and the choice to surrender power).
Whether that is choosing to fight or to surrender, or who to stand with or against. Or to sacrifice something more, even if you know that you won’t get to see the results.
These elements have been woven into this story since the beginning, and yet here in the Bonds of Chaos it feels like a spotlight has been shone on them. Forcing both the characters and the reader to ask those questions, and it adds such a raw, and powerful layer to the story and the events that unfold from each choice; and it’s a brilliant way to get the reader invested, because as you’re reading about what the characters are doing, about the turmoil behind their choices, the doubts, the cost they might pay, you can’t help but ask yourself what you would do in their place.
What would you be willing to pay.
This story was never going to resolve without a cost. Argyle has demonstrated that throughout and has given us stakes that range in scale from the personal, to an entire people, to the world. We had already seen people lose their home, losing loved ones, or parts of themselves – just look at the journey that Laurel has gone on throughout the previous two books. Yet, I was still caught by surprise – in the best way – by the choices that were made in this book, by the extent of the sacrifices that the characters and people were willing to make, and that notion of ‘the greater good’. And I think it works so well, because the time has been taken to invest us in this world, in the characters whether the main or secondary cast, and how each people has brought so much to the world and plot; because it feels like such a cohesive, living breathing world, and you can s
“He never wanted to live forever. He did it because he loved you both. He wanted to help you hold onto your humanity. I want you to know that he died helping us. Because in the end, Alchaeus saw what you had become, and it broke his heart.”
One of the main elements of this series has been a focus on family, whether by blood or marriage or choice, and all the messiness and pain and joy that comes with that. We’ve seen families torn apart by loss and war, and we’ve seen others come together in the shadow of those same events. It is one of the great equalisers throughout the entire story, because everyone from the Heralds, to the Wastelanders, to our main characters have family in some form – and those bonds, that weakness and strength plays into all of them. The diversity of these relationships is breath-taking, as is the way Argyle manages to capture the essence of each relationship, for example, he does such an amazing job of exploring parenthood in the series and this book. We have so many examples, from Willow and Crys, to the tentative, developing bond between Roshaw and Alverax that is scarred by the past, to Iriel and Crys fierce, desperate efforts to protect their son, and coming full circle to Luther and Emory; and each one is different, shaped by the people and the events, and reflecting those influences. In particular I loved seeing Roshaw and Alverax’s relationship as it unfolded in this book, from the almost total retreat of Alverax at the start, to Roshaw’s guilt for leaving and the reason behind it, and them having to heal that divide and come together; and the way it took time and wasn’t brushed over added so much to both their arcs.
Which leads me nicely to the fact that this was also a story about individuals, and I think one of the reasons why Bonds of Chaos will stay in my thoughts for so long is not the action and the crescendo of the world events (although that was epic, and breath-taking and had me reading until far too late), but because of the character work. These are people that we’ve walked a thousand miles with, and through Argyle’s fantastic characterisation and emotive work, we have seen so much of them, in their darkest and brightest moments. Each was incredibly well established and unique, with their own voices and flaws and strengths, and we’ve seen them grow and change, reflecting events and each other throughout the series. But, here in this final book, as everything else is threatened and sacrifices loomed, it felt as though each of our main characters was finding their own place in the world, in their own skin and in their family.
Each one coming into their own.
When I first started writing this review, I thought that I could say that some of the characters personified this more than the others, but I really don’t feel that is true. Argyle has poured so much care and life into each character, and we really see the culmination of that in this book. We see Chrys managing to separate himself from what the Apogee was and did, and reclaiming himself and his relationship with his family, particularly his wife. In some ways it felt like he was the character who had come full circle, this was the man we’d seen hints of at the beginning, and it felt very much like he’d come home – to himself, to his family, by the end of this book – and the way his arc ended was so fulfilling.
“It was as though she’d gained one title and lost all others. A mother, and nothing more.”
In a similar way Iriel’s arc especially in this book was about reclaiming herself, and I especially love how Argyle explored not just her character in this book, but also reconciling motherhood and wanting and needing to fight. It was such a believable and impactful conflict, and handled so well, and again it felt like in Bonds of Chaos, against the backdrop of a world on the edge we see her reconcile the weight of expectations and need, and who she wants to be, and we really get to see that in the ending and the epilogue.
‘His sacrifice was not to die but to live with the consequences of that day. He would live so the memory of their sacrifice would endure.’
I’ve touched on Alverax briefly already, and he was possibly one of the most interesting for me in this book. We’d seen the potential he’d had in Voice of War and seen him come into his own in Stones of Light’, and again it felt much like he found himself in this book. But, whereas Chrys and Iriel had been finding themselves and who they used to be, it felt like Alverax was discovering himself – not as the world and situation saw him, and needed him, but who he was, and all the parts that made him who he is. We see it in the wonderful reunion with his grandfather at the start of the book, and in the gradual rebuilding of a relationship with his father, but also with the choices he makes in Bonds of Chaos. It felt like he had his hand on the rudder of his own life in this book, rather than being a leaf in the storm, and as heart-breaking as elements of his storyline was, in many ways I found him the most compelling in this book.
Then there was Laurel…
‘Side by side with her companion, her friend, her second soul, she met the onslaught of smaller corespawn with more energy than she’d ever had before. She was a flaming wall. She was the hand of death. She was the alpha.’
Without a doubt, she is the character who has grown the most for me across the entire series, and I find her story arc even more interesting in retrospect and in light of the choice that was made about Threadweaving in this book. Her bond with Asher has always been one of my favourite relationships in this series, and again we saw that mature in this book, filling a void for each of them; and it added another element to the worldbuilding too as we saw her taking on aspects of the chromawolf, allowing them to work together and fight in new ways. It was an insight to the fact that Threadlight was not the only power in this world; and not the only thing that gave her life colour. The conclusion of her arc was oh so fitting and devasting, and that you can see how she came to this point and everything that she had learned, the wisdom that she brought to those around her was wonderful, and I was not ready for how her story concluded. And yet, again there is that element of consequence and lasting impact, and I think of all the characters, it is Laurel and Alverax that personify that right until the very end of this book.
Which leads me to why Bonds of Chaos is how you end a series like this. It has all the hallmarks that have made this series great from the beginning – the characterisation, the stakes and the worldbuilding, combined with Argyle’s skill for writing action and emotion; and it pushes it all to the next level. We see the worldbuilding expand, learn more about threadweaving – and I love the progression that is made in what can be achieved with different combinations of threadlight; we see the world and the cast expand. Argyle adds so much to the melting pot that is this series, and it gives that feeling of a world and story that is ever moving and living, even beyond what we can see in the moment. It could have become chaotic, instead what we get is a thrilling, breath-taking crescendo with twists and turns, including those you don’t see coming, that brings together all those elements that have brought us to this point. There isn’t a thread forgotten, and this is a conclusion that is so rich and satisfying in its payoff, not only for the story as a whole, or the individual characters, but for all the events that have happened previously across this world.
The epilogue was a beautiful capstone for this story. The ending was already perfect, and that last line of chapter 48 was everything I could have wanted for this book and for Crys; and yet the epilogue feels like the cherry on top. All the way through we’ve seen the consequences of choices and events, and so it feels incredibly fitting for that to be true here as well, and I think the reason that it works so well is that it’s not an unstained happily ever after.
‘Even though more than half a year had passed, Willow still saw glimpses of the dirty, frightened couple that had taken their child across the world to stop the gods.’
It shows that the world and the people are healing, that the future they fought so hard for and sacrificed so much for is beginning to unfold, but it also looks back at those sacrifices, at what was lost and acknowledges that and remembers it. It creates a sense of a story that continues even once the pages are closed, but also, cleverly – deviously – gives almost a sense of a living history as it looked back, and that last line, that last realisation was just perfect and jaw dropping, and had me sat there just trying to breath it in.
Threadlight is a series that has gone from strength to strength, and Bonds of Chaos has continued that trend and I honestly don’t feel that this series could have ended in any other way. I will forever be grateful that Threadlight crossed paths with me, because it has been a pleasure to follow its journey. It will also be a long time before my heart recovers from what Argyle did to it with Bonds of Chaos, and this will be a series and a book that I will revisit many times.
If you haven’t read these books yet, then what are you waiting for?
I was not prepared for this book, and in fact I have started and restarted this review so many times, because it has made me think and feel so many things, and even now I’m not sure I can come close to capturing that. The end of a series is always somewhat bittersweet, because you want to see how the story ends, to enjoy the payoff for the arcs and threads that have led to this point. Yet at the same time it is a looming farewell to a world and its characters that you’ve spent so much time with. Threadlight is one of those series that makes that harder, because Argyle has done such a fantastic job of pulling you into the world, hooking you into the story and making you so invested in the characters that each book has felt like reuniting with old friends. And Bonds of Chaos has taken all of that to the next level, and it feels like Argyle has gone all out in this concluding part and it works – it hurts, it devastates on so many levels – and yet at the same time, THIS IS HOW YOU END A SERIES.
After the events in Stones of Light, this book was always going to start on a knife-edge. Our main characters are together again, but everything is splintering around them with the rise of the Heralds, and the ongoing threat to Aydin. As might therefore be expected, Bonds of Chaos hits the ground running as we re-join the story just after those events (and I must do a shoutout to the author for the story so far sections, although I enjoyed the excuse for a reread before diving into this one). The threat is immediately real and present, but so are the consequences from the events that have transpired previously, which means right from the beginning we get to enjoy the delight that is Argyle’s character work and the emotional depth that permeates every aspect of this book.
“A friend once told me that people are like trees. The way I see it, it doesn’t matter how many broken branches you have, or how many leaves you’ve lost. If a tree is standing, it’s no less whole than the trees beside it.”
I adore stories where we see consequences of previous events play out, not just in the world, but on a personal level in the characters; and given Argyle’s skill for creating wonderfully real and grounded characters, it’s not surprising to see it here. But the impact it had on me as a reader, but also the story
Seeing Alverax retreat under the weight of his grief and guilt about Jisenna, to his anger at finding his father alive, was a perfect way to combine all these elements and to give the story weight from the beginning. And again, it is that realism that is such a strong part of the characterisation in this series, because it would have been easy to have the reunion ease the tension, to focus on the joy of finding his father. But, it would have undermined so much about the character, about the state of the world – and for me, it set the tone of this book beautifully from page one. And it was also a chance to breathe, to catch up with all the characters, to see them come together and where they were now – and I loved seeing them rallying not just around Alverax, but around one another, and Laurel really shone for me here too.
It was also a demonstration that even among the heavier consequences, there were human moments of growth and connection, and understanding and hope, which is something that permeates the entire book.
‘There is nothing more dangerous than a measure of hope when the meal is war.’
Bonds of Chaos and indeed the series has such a depth of emotion and doesn’t hesitate to explore it; but it feels like this book delved deeper. In places, it felt almost philosophical in the questions that it asked, in the quandaries and choices that befell the characters, and that was incredibly fitting, because how else would people – regardless of who they are, react to events that threaten everything? What does hope mean in the face of a conflict that could destroy everything, and when the solution will come at great cost? What is the greater good and who gets to decide?
It also comes back to freewill – we’ve seen it through Crys and the Apogee, to those bound to the Heralds, through Laurel’s rebellion.
We also see the power of choice (and the choice to surrender power).
Whether that is choosing to fight or to surrender, or who to stand with or against. Or to sacrifice something more, even if you know that you won’t get to see the results.
These elements have been woven into this story since the beginning, and yet here in the Bonds of Chaos it feels like a spotlight has been shone on them. Forcing both the characters and the reader to ask those questions, and it adds such a raw, and powerful layer to the story and the events that unfold from each choice; and it’s a brilliant way to get the reader invested, because as you’re reading about what the characters are doing, about the turmoil behind their choices, the doubts, the cost they might pay, you can’t help but ask yourself what you would do in their place.
What would you be willing to pay.
This story was never going to resolve without a cost. Argyle has demonstrated that throughout and has given us stakes that range in scale from the personal, to an entire people, to the world. We had already seen people lose their home, losing loved ones, or parts of themselves – just look at the journey that Laurel has gone on throughout the previous two books. Yet, I was still caught by surprise – in the best way – by the choices that were made in this book, by the extent of the sacrifices that the characters and people were willing to make, and that notion of ‘the greater good’. And I think it works so well, because the time has been taken to invest us in this world, in the characters whether the main or secondary cast, and how each people has brought so much to the world and plot; because it feels like such a cohesive, living breathing world, and you can s
“He never wanted to live forever. He did it because he loved you both. He wanted to help you hold onto your humanity. I want you to know that he died helping us. Because in the end, Alchaeus saw what you had become, and it broke his heart.”
One of the main elements of this series has been a focus on family, whether by blood or marriage or choice, and all the messiness and pain and joy that comes with that. We’ve seen families torn apart by loss and war, and we’ve seen others come together in the shadow of those same events. It is one of the great equalisers throughout the entire story, because everyone from the Heralds, to the Wastelanders, to our main characters have family in some form – and those bonds, that weakness and strength plays into all of them. The diversity of these relationships is breath-taking, as is the way Argyle manages to capture the essence of each relationship, for example, he does such an amazing job of exploring parenthood in the series and this book. We have so many examples, from Willow and Crys, to the tentative, developing bond between Roshaw and Alverax that is scarred by the past, to Iriel and Crys fierce, desperate efforts to protect their son, and coming full circle to Luther and Emory; and each one is different, shaped by the people and the events, and reflecting those influences. In particular I loved seeing Roshaw and Alverax’s relationship as it unfolded in this book, from the almost total retreat of Alverax at the start, to Roshaw’s guilt for leaving and the reason behind it, and them having to heal that divide and come together; and the way it took time and wasn’t brushed over added so much to both their arcs.
Which leads me nicely to the fact that this was also a story about individuals, and I think one of the reasons why Bonds of Chaos will stay in my thoughts for so long is not the action and the crescendo of the world events (although that was epic, and breath-taking and had me reading until far too late), but because of the character work. These are people that we’ve walked a thousand miles with, and through Argyle’s fantastic characterisation and emotive work, we have seen so much of them, in their darkest and brightest moments. Each was incredibly well established and unique, with their own voices and flaws and strengths, and we’ve seen them grow and change, reflecting events and each other throughout the series. But, here in this final book, as everything else is threatened and sacrifices loomed, it felt as though each of our main characters was finding their own place in the world, in their own skin and in their family.
Each one coming into their own.
When I first started writing this review, I thought that I could say that some of the characters personified this more than the others, but I really don’t feel that is true. Argyle has poured so much care and life into each character, and we really see the culmination of that in this book. We see Chrys managing to separate himself from what the Apogee was and did, and reclaiming himself and his relationship with his family, particularly his wife. In some ways it felt like he was the character who had come full circle, this was the man we’d seen hints of at the beginning, and it felt very much like he’d come home – to himself, to his family, by the end of this book – and the way his arc ended was so fulfilling.
“It was as though she’d gained one title and lost all others. A mother, and nothing more.”
In a similar way Iriel’s arc especially in this book was about reclaiming herself, and I especially love how Argyle explored not just her character in this book, but also reconciling motherhood and wanting and needing to fight. It was such a believable and impactful conflict, and handled so well, and again it felt like in Bonds of Chaos, against the backdrop of a world on the edge we see her reconcile the weight of expectations and need, and who she wants to be, and we really get to see that in the ending and the epilogue.
‘His sacrifice was not to die but to live with the consequences of that day. He would live so the memory of their sacrifice would endure.’
I’ve touched on Alverax briefly already, and he was possibly one of the most interesting for me in this book. We’d seen the potential he’d had in Voice of War and seen him come into his own in Stones of Light’, and again it felt much like he found himself in this book. But, whereas Chrys and Iriel had been finding themselves and who they used to be, it felt like Alverax was discovering himself – not as the world and situation saw him, and needed him, but who he was, and all the parts that made him who he is. We see it in the wonderful reunion with his grandfather at the start of the book, and in the gradual rebuilding of a relationship with his father, but also with the choices he makes in Bonds of Chaos. It felt like he had his hand on the rudder of his own life in this book, rather than being a leaf in the storm, and as heart-breaking as elements of his storyline was, in many ways I found him the most compelling in this book.
Then there was Laurel…
‘Side by side with her companion, her friend, her second soul, she met the onslaught of smaller corespawn with more energy than she’d ever had before. She was a flaming wall. She was the hand of death. She was the alpha.’
Without a doubt, she is the character who has grown the most for me across the entire series, and I find her story arc even more interesting in retrospect and in light of the choice that was made about Threadweaving in this book. Her bond with Asher has always been one of my favourite relationships in this series, and again we saw that mature in this book, filling a void for each of them; and it added another element to the worldbuilding too as we saw her taking on aspects of the chromawolf, allowing them to work together and fight in new ways. It was an insight to the fact that Threadlight was not the only power in this world; and not the only thing that gave her life colour. The conclusion of her arc was oh so fitting and devasting, and that you can see how she came to this point and everything that she had learned, the wisdom that she brought to those around her was wonderful, and I was not ready for how her story concluded. And yet, again there is that element of consequence and lasting impact, and I think of all the characters, it is Laurel and Alverax that personify that right until the very end of this book.
Which leads me to why Bonds of Chaos is how you end a series like this. It has all the hallmarks that have made this series great from the beginning – the characterisation, the stakes and the worldbuilding, combined with Argyle’s skill for writing action and emotion; and it pushes it all to the next level. We see the worldbuilding expand, learn more about threadweaving – and I love the progression that is made in what can be achieved with different combinations of threadlight; we see the world and the cast expand. Argyle adds so much to the melting pot that is this series, and it gives that feeling of a world and story that is ever moving and living, even beyond what we can see in the moment. It could have become chaotic, instead what we get is a thrilling, breath-taking crescendo with twists and turns, including those you don’t see coming, that brings together all those elements that have brought us to this point. There isn’t a thread forgotten, and this is a conclusion that is so rich and satisfying in its payoff, not only for the story as a whole, or the individual characters, but for all the events that have happened previously across this world.
The epilogue was a beautiful capstone for this story. The ending was already perfect, and that last line of chapter 48 was everything I could have wanted for this book and for Crys; and yet the epilogue feels like the cherry on top. All the way through we’ve seen the consequences of choices and events, and so it feels incredibly fitting for that to be true here as well, and I think the reason that it works so well is that it’s not an unstained happily ever after.
‘Even though more than half a year had passed, Willow still saw glimpses of the dirty, frightened couple that had taken their child across the world to stop the gods.’
It shows that the world and the people are healing, that the future they fought so hard for and sacrificed so much for is beginning to unfold, but it also looks back at those sacrifices, at what was lost and acknowledges that and remembers it. It creates a sense of a story that continues even once the pages are closed, but also, cleverly – deviously – gives almost a sense of a living history as it looked back, and that last line, that last realisation was just perfect and jaw dropping, and had me sat there just trying to breath it in.
Threadlight is a series that has gone from strength to strength, and Bonds of Chaos has continued that trend and I honestly don’t feel that this series could have ended in any other way. I will forever be grateful that Threadlight crossed paths with me, because it has been a pleasure to follow its journey. It will also be a long time before my heart recovers from what Argyle did to it with Bonds of Chaos, and this will be a series and a book that I will revisit many times.
If you haven’t read these books yet, then what are you waiting for?
August 25, 2022
THERE WILL BE SPOILERS FOR VOICE OF WAR & STONES OF LIGHT
“The final elder was a kind looking woman with soft, blue eyes. She looked at him with a profound sadness, like a mother who’d lost a child and blamed herself…He lunged forward, fighting himself more than any enemy, and met her eyes as the steel cut flesh.
Wide-eyed, her lips moved.
I forgive you…
And somehow, through the pain and sorrow, she looked peaceful…As she finally collapsed to the earth, her lips curled into a smile.” Zack Argyle, Bonds of Chaos
The third and final book in the Threadlight Series, Bonds of Chaos by Zack Argyle, is how the ending to a series is done. Bonds of Chaos ties everything together perfectly, with emotional impact, continued character growth, and world building. At the end of Stones of Light, the main protagonists have all found each other: Iriel, Chrys, Willow, Alverax, Laurel and her wolf, Asher, and Roshaw, Alverax’s father he thought long dead. It’s a race against time to stop the cruel Heralds from taking Iriel and Chry’s son, Aydin, a rare Amber threadweaver, and taking over the continent of Arasin. Bonds of Chaos picks right up after the end of Stones of Light. In this final chapter, the turmoil that was building in the first two books finally come to a head. Not only do they have to stop the Heralds, they are each battling their own personal turmoil. Mr. Argyle excels at making relatable characters, intertwined beautifully with an exciting, action filled story that drew in me in from the from the first page. The Threadlight Series is epic fantasy at its finest, and Bonds of Chaos is a superb book that binds the threads together.
One of the strengths of this series is the characters and their growth throughout the books. Alverax, thinking his father dead all of his life, upon finding him alive, is angry. In their journey by boat in the beginning, Alverax spends his time in his cabin refusing to speak to anyone. He is angry, he is hurting from the death of Jisenna, and he retreats into himself. I found this reaction to be very realistic. It certainly would have been easy to write a nice, happy reunion. However, this had more of an emotional impact, since Alverax was already dealing with pain. This was another blow to him, leaving him to wonder why his father never tried to contact him.
I always related to Iriel as a mother. Mr. Argyle has impressed me so much with her character and how she tries to reconcile being a mother and her role in this fight. We know all the others, except Laurel and Alverax, have all the threadweaver power. Laurel has her bond with Asher, and Alverax is an obsidian threadweaver, able to cut the core of other threadweavers and the powerful sword, the Midnight Watcher. Iriel does have her Emerald threadlight, but still feels she is not as useful as the others. She feels relegated to being the person who is there to hold and feed Aydin, rather than being the fighter she was. The conflicting emotions and thoughts she had were so real to me, as I remember having those doubts when I had children. Your life changes, and with it, expectations. This book elicited many emotions in me, none more so than Iriel’s struggles:
“While some of her feelings of inadequacy had faded, others had slipped their grimy claws into her skin. For weeks, she’d been the woman in the back, holding the child while others did the important work. She was tired of being left behind. Tired of not helping. And she was tired of hearing Willow talk about the gift of motherhood. It was as though she’d gained one title and lost all others. A mother, and nothing more.” Zack Argyle, Bonds of Chaos
It was great to see the other characters develop as well. Where once Laurel was devastated at the loss of her threadlight, her bond with Asher is even more important to her. They can communicate and are inseparable. Laurel takes on many of the characteristics of Asher. She is stronger and faster than the others. Roshaw carries a tremendous amount of guilt about leaving Alverax, and we do find out why. However, it takes time for their relationship to heal and begin to grow. Again, this is such a realistic way to portray the relationship between father and son. Willow, Chrys’ mother, is tough and brave. There is also a blossoming relationship between her and Roshaw, which was very sweet in how it was written. Chrys is still over protective, but that’s his nature. He carries the guilt of when he lost his friends, but he comes to accept that the Apogee was not him and his actions in that time were not his, and he can forgive himself.
The threadlight power is really unique and I always enjoyed how it is used. With Chrys, Willow, and Roshaw having all three threadlight powers, they are able to fly. It was not overwhelming for the three of them to have these powers, as it introduced many interesting plot lines into the book. The story takes our protagonists across the continent of Arasin in hopes of finding a way to stop the Heralds. There are many plot twists and turns, none of which were at all predictable. Mr. Argyle, in our final journey in the Threadlight series, takes us on an action-filled, emotional roller coaster ride from the first page to the last. I loved the series and I’m sad to see it end. The characters were ones that I cared for and it’s like saying goodbye to old friends. I highly recommend not only Bonds of Chaos, but this entire series. You will not be disappointed.
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“The final elder was a kind looking woman with soft, blue eyes. She looked at him with a profound sadness, like a mother who’d lost a child and blamed herself…He lunged forward, fighting himself more than any enemy, and met her eyes as the steel cut flesh.
Wide-eyed, her lips moved.
I forgive you…
And somehow, through the pain and sorrow, she looked peaceful…As she finally collapsed to the earth, her lips curled into a smile.” Zack Argyle, Bonds of Chaos
The third and final book in the Threadlight Series, Bonds of Chaos by Zack Argyle, is how the ending to a series is done. Bonds of Chaos ties everything together perfectly, with emotional impact, continued character growth, and world building. At the end of Stones of Light, the main protagonists have all found each other: Iriel, Chrys, Willow, Alverax, Laurel and her wolf, Asher, and Roshaw, Alverax’s father he thought long dead. It’s a race against time to stop the cruel Heralds from taking Iriel and Chry’s son, Aydin, a rare Amber threadweaver, and taking over the continent of Arasin. Bonds of Chaos picks right up after the end of Stones of Light. In this final chapter, the turmoil that was building in the first two books finally come to a head. Not only do they have to stop the Heralds, they are each battling their own personal turmoil. Mr. Argyle excels at making relatable characters, intertwined beautifully with an exciting, action filled story that drew in me in from the from the first page. The Threadlight Series is epic fantasy at its finest, and Bonds of Chaos is a superb book that binds the threads together.
One of the strengths of this series is the characters and their growth throughout the books. Alverax, thinking his father dead all of his life, upon finding him alive, is angry. In their journey by boat in the beginning, Alverax spends his time in his cabin refusing to speak to anyone. He is angry, he is hurting from the death of Jisenna, and he retreats into himself. I found this reaction to be very realistic. It certainly would have been easy to write a nice, happy reunion. However, this had more of an emotional impact, since Alverax was already dealing with pain. This was another blow to him, leaving him to wonder why his father never tried to contact him.
I always related to Iriel as a mother. Mr. Argyle has impressed me so much with her character and how she tries to reconcile being a mother and her role in this fight. We know all the others, except Laurel and Alverax, have all the threadweaver power. Laurel has her bond with Asher, and Alverax is an obsidian threadweaver, able to cut the core of other threadweavers and the powerful sword, the Midnight Watcher. Iriel does have her Emerald threadlight, but still feels she is not as useful as the others. She feels relegated to being the person who is there to hold and feed Aydin, rather than being the fighter she was. The conflicting emotions and thoughts she had were so real to me, as I remember having those doubts when I had children. Your life changes, and with it, expectations. This book elicited many emotions in me, none more so than Iriel’s struggles:
“While some of her feelings of inadequacy had faded, others had slipped their grimy claws into her skin. For weeks, she’d been the woman in the back, holding the child while others did the important work. She was tired of being left behind. Tired of not helping. And she was tired of hearing Willow talk about the gift of motherhood. It was as though she’d gained one title and lost all others. A mother, and nothing more.” Zack Argyle, Bonds of Chaos
It was great to see the other characters develop as well. Where once Laurel was devastated at the loss of her threadlight, her bond with Asher is even more important to her. They can communicate and are inseparable. Laurel takes on many of the characteristics of Asher. She is stronger and faster than the others. Roshaw carries a tremendous amount of guilt about leaving Alverax, and we do find out why. However, it takes time for their relationship to heal and begin to grow. Again, this is such a realistic way to portray the relationship between father and son. Willow, Chrys’ mother, is tough and brave. There is also a blossoming relationship between her and Roshaw, which was very sweet in how it was written. Chrys is still over protective, but that’s his nature. He carries the guilt of when he lost his friends, but he comes to accept that the Apogee was not him and his actions in that time were not his, and he can forgive himself.
The threadlight power is really unique and I always enjoyed how it is used. With Chrys, Willow, and Roshaw having all three threadlight powers, they are able to fly. It was not overwhelming for the three of them to have these powers, as it introduced many interesting plot lines into the book. The story takes our protagonists across the continent of Arasin in hopes of finding a way to stop the Heralds. There are many plot twists and turns, none of which were at all predictable. Mr. Argyle, in our final journey in the Threadlight series, takes us on an action-filled, emotional roller coaster ride from the first page to the last. I loved the series and I’m sad to see it end. The characters were ones that I cared for and it’s like saying goodbye to old friends. I highly recommend not only Bonds of Chaos, but this entire series. You will not be disappointed.
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March 24, 2024
REVIEW to come..... loved it.
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