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Five Silver Rings
A fantasy short story of love and loss.
For the last four years, Misty's husband, Skye, has given her silver rings. But as their lives change, she learns that the rings are more than she once believed.
For the last four years, Misty's husband, Skye, has given her silver rings. But as their lives change, she learns that the rings are more than she once believed.
- GenresFantasyShort Stories
40 pages, ebook
First published October 1, 2022
5 people are currently reading
218 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
December 30, 2022
Five Silver Rings is a beautiful (and FREE) short story. It's not even 20 pages long, and as far as a short story goes, which is not my preferred form of reading, Five Silver Rings by Zack Argyle is one of the great ones. I've learned something irreplaceable from my experience with Ken Liu's books that I will apply here. If an author is capable of crafting a short story or novella that tugs at your heartstring, even if it's only slightly, it is mandatory to read their longer form of stories. And that's what I plan to do with The Threadlight trilogy by Zack Argyle. Five Silver Rings is a great short story about love, marriage, and sacrifice. The emotional impact and the character's background were simply effectively placed. And hey, you can get this for FREE by subscribing to the author's newsletter. Don't think. Just do it. Here's the link to the short story: Five Silver Rings
You can find 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!
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You can find 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, Andrew, Andrew W, Annabeth, Barbara, Brad, Casey, Diana, Dylan, Edward, Elias, Ellen, Ellis, Gary, Hamad, Helen, Jesse, Jimmy Nutts, Joie, Kristina, Lana, Luis, Lufi, Melinda, Meryl, Michael, Miracle, Nanette, Neeraja, Nicholas, Radiah, Reno, Samuel, Sarah, Sarah, Scott, Shawn, Wendy, Wick, Xero, Yuri, Zoe.
June 7, 2023
A very short story a but love and lost. I grave for more
November 17, 2022
4.5 stars
Perfect example of why a skilled author doesn't need hundreds of pages to tell a powerful story. This is a beautiful, heart-wrenching short story exploring the lengths we are willing to go to protect and spend time with our loved ones. It's a quick read, but it will linger on in your heart and soul.
Perfect example of why a skilled author doesn't need hundreds of pages to tell a powerful story. This is a beautiful, heart-wrenching short story exploring the lengths we are willing to go to protect and spend time with our loved ones. It's a quick read, but it will linger on in your heart and soul.
February 13, 2023
A small slice of life from the Threadlight world. It was interesting to watch Misty use each of the five rings in order to relive memories of her husband, Skye. The end was such a surprise. It was so bittersweet.
February 12, 2023
Here is a link to get a FREE copy: Five Silver Rings
To provide some context, Zack Argyle has gained my unwavering trust as a reader. His Threadlight series was my favorite series and audiobooks from last year. I recall mentioning that I was eagerly waiting to see what his next project was when he mentioned this short story. I recently found myself in between books so there was no better time than now to check it out.
Five Silver Rings is short story of not even 20 pages. It’s a credit to the author’s talents to elicit such emotion in so few pages. Loss, fate, and sacrifice are the story’s central themes, which are tied together by an unearthly creature of time and space. I don’t want to hint at anything specific and spoil the details so I’m leaving things at that. I found the pacing to be quite excellent and the mystery of the rings were an interesting idea that held my interest.
“Fate cannot be stopped,” it said, scraping long claws across the stone floor as if carving symbols. “Balance is inevitable.”
The story benefits from its direct storytelling. The premise could be stretched into a full-length novel; however, the impact would have been diluted. There was an urgency to the pacing. It was tightly focused and every single detail was condensed for necessity. Argyle made every word and every moment count till the very end, and you gain a deeper understanding of the story through subtly.
This year I set a personal goal to read more short fiction. Time is a thief and I’ve been feeling it’s loss. Despite my love for sitting with longer narratives with more complex plot lines and character development, I’ve found that shorter stories bring me back to childhood. I’m nostalgic for the days when I could live an entire life just before bed. I appreciate seeing how authors experiment with different techniques, ideas, and genres.
Overall, if you’re between reads, needing a genre/length change, or just want to try out Argyle’s writing but not ready for Threadlight yet, I can recommend Five Silver Rings. You’ll get a good sense of his writing style, the emotions he elicits, and how family is paramount in his life and a running theme in all of his works to date.
For the purposes of the blog (FanFiAddict), this is a 7.5 out of 10, which would be 3.75 out of 5 on Goodreads, rounded up to 4 stars.
To provide some context, Zack Argyle has gained my unwavering trust as a reader. His Threadlight series was my favorite series and audiobooks from last year. I recall mentioning that I was eagerly waiting to see what his next project was when he mentioned this short story. I recently found myself in between books so there was no better time than now to check it out.
Five Silver Rings is short story of not even 20 pages. It’s a credit to the author’s talents to elicit such emotion in so few pages. Loss, fate, and sacrifice are the story’s central themes, which are tied together by an unearthly creature of time and space. I don’t want to hint at anything specific and spoil the details so I’m leaving things at that. I found the pacing to be quite excellent and the mystery of the rings were an interesting idea that held my interest.
“Fate cannot be stopped,” it said, scraping long claws across the stone floor as if carving symbols. “Balance is inevitable.”
The story benefits from its direct storytelling. The premise could be stretched into a full-length novel; however, the impact would have been diluted. There was an urgency to the pacing. It was tightly focused and every single detail was condensed for necessity. Argyle made every word and every moment count till the very end, and you gain a deeper understanding of the story through subtly.
This year I set a personal goal to read more short fiction. Time is a thief and I’ve been feeling it’s loss. Despite my love for sitting with longer narratives with more complex plot lines and character development, I’ve found that shorter stories bring me back to childhood. I’m nostalgic for the days when I could live an entire life just before bed. I appreciate seeing how authors experiment with different techniques, ideas, and genres.
Overall, if you’re between reads, needing a genre/length change, or just want to try out Argyle’s writing but not ready for Threadlight yet, I can recommend Five Silver Rings. You’ll get a good sense of his writing style, the emotions he elicits, and how family is paramount in his life and a running theme in all of his works to date.
For the purposes of the blog (FanFiAddict), this is a 7.5 out of 10, which would be 3.75 out of 5 on Goodreads, rounded up to 4 stars.
January 3, 2023
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For more reviews, go to www.wolfmantula.com/book-reviews
MY ⭐️ RATING: 4.5/5
FORMAT: Kindle Whispersync
Five Silver Rings is an incredible short story for what only felt like 15 pages at most. I expected this to be good based on how much I enjoyed Zack’s Threadlight series, and as I expected, I was not disappointed. At first I thought this was going to be a horror story, because it sure did feel as if that’s what I was getting myself into with a creature that felt like it came from Silent Hill or Resident Evil. But instead what I got was a story about love and sacrifice mixed with a tinge of horror. I sure do hope that this short story possibly turns into a bit of a prequel for his next series because this was beautiful and I want to find out a lot more about this creature.
“Balance. There must be balance. Your lives are not equal. Fate cannot be stopped.”
Also, the title had me constantly signing Silver Wings by the Country music legend, Merle Haggard, and still am signing it. What I found more fascinating were the parallels in the song and that story. Silver Wings is an emotional song of watching someone leave and the struggle of letting them go. It is crazy that I made the connection based on the title and after reading felt like the connection was even bigger, purposeful or not.
For more reviews, go to www.wolfmantula.com/book-reviews
MY ⭐️ RATING: 4.5/5
FORMAT: Kindle Whispersync
Five Silver Rings is an incredible short story for what only felt like 15 pages at most. I expected this to be good based on how much I enjoyed Zack’s Threadlight series, and as I expected, I was not disappointed. At first I thought this was going to be a horror story, because it sure did feel as if that’s what I was getting myself into with a creature that felt like it came from Silent Hill or Resident Evil. But instead what I got was a story about love and sacrifice mixed with a tinge of horror. I sure do hope that this short story possibly turns into a bit of a prequel for his next series because this was beautiful and I want to find out a lot more about this creature.
“Balance. There must be balance. Your lives are not equal. Fate cannot be stopped.”
Also, the title had me constantly signing Silver Wings by the Country music legend, Merle Haggard, and still am signing it. What I found more fascinating were the parallels in the song and that story. Silver Wings is an emotional song of watching someone leave and the struggle of letting them go. It is crazy that I made the connection based on the title and after reading felt like the connection was even bigger, purposeful or not.
June 8, 2023
A short story with fantasy elements with a main focus on loss and grief, how far would you go to have more time with the one you love, the one you have lost? Zach Argyle writes a beuatiful story, showcasing just how far one couple would go. The characters are rich despite the short time we spend with them, feeling what they do and experiencing their memories through their eyes.
December 31, 2022
An amazing impact for only a handful of pages. And it's free!
December 31, 2022
One of best short story I have ever read.
January 6, 2023
Zack Argyle’s Five Silver Rings was a perfectly timed punch to my gut. Okay maybe I’m being a bit dramatic but honestly this short story proves that a talented writer can suck you into a story quickly if executed properly. The premise is simple, it's a story about love and the lengths we will go to protect those who matter most to us. I don’t want to say anything more as this story is such a quick read you should probably stop wasting time reading my review and instead go sign up for his newsletter so you can get started reading Fiver Silver Rings on your own.
October 14, 2022
This is my first experience with Zack Argyle’s writing (though his Threadlight series is coming up very soon on my TBR) and it has me really excited to continue on with more. I don’t read short stories often because I struggle to trust characters enough to find their actions believably in such a short amount of time. The emotions that come with the love and loss entwined in the way he writes about here are so convincing though. I really hope he writes some more short stories because he used his limited time with these characters really well.
October 11, 2022
This new short is available through the author’s newsletter, so get to it!
Zack yet again proves his ability to write emotion. Just gut-punching, heartbreaking loss. You will feel everything this main character does, in such few pages. I’m again so impressed with the author’s ability to pack such a punch.
This fantasy/horror short story is about love, sacrifice, and loss. This feels like such an interesting and impressive world, with next to no world building in it. I would read a million short stories by him.
Zack yet again proves his ability to write emotion. Just gut-punching, heartbreaking loss. You will feel everything this main character does, in such few pages. I’m again so impressed with the author’s ability to pack such a punch.
This fantasy/horror short story is about love, sacrifice, and loss. This feels like such an interesting and impressive world, with next to no world building in it. I would read a million short stories by him.
October 10, 2022
To have that kind of love would be a wonderful thing 🧡
A sweet and endearing short story. And a wonderful quick break from grimdark.
A sweet and endearing short story. And a wonderful quick break from grimdark.
October 10, 2022
What a beautiful little story showcasing the power of love and what I'm sure most of us would do to keep that love around as long as we could. Zack is 4 for 4 for me and I'll continue reading whatever he thrusts my way as soon as it comes.
January 9, 2023
Perfect example of how a short story can still be powerful, memorable, & enjoyable. From start to end, Zack Argyle delivered a captivating story of loss, sacrifice, and marriage. I will recommend this to anyone - feel free to read the story for free by clicking HERE.
January 7, 2023
A very dark tale beautifully written.
January 24, 2023
I didn't expect a 20 page short story to make me feel like that, but it did. It almost made me cry. I loved it.
June 19, 2023
Short stories can't make me care enough, but I really liked the end, I didn't see it coming.
January 6, 2023
3.5 Un racconto breve molto ben scritto, che affronta temi come la perdita, il dolore, la solitudine in poche ma efficaci pagine. Worldbuilding ai minimi termini, ma non essendo un pilastro per la storia va bene cosi. Ho trovato il finale un po' prevedibile, ma non per questo meno d'impatto.
Considerando che si può ottenere gratuitamente iscrivendosi alla newsletter sul sito dell'autore, consiglio a tutti di dargli una chance: vi ruberà poco tempo e ne varrà la pena.
Ps. Inglese di livello medio/basso, ottimo per approcciarsi alla lingua e avere la "soddisfazione" di portare qualcosa a termine!
Considerando che si può ottenere gratuitamente iscrivendosi alla newsletter sul sito dell'autore, consiglio a tutti di dargli una chance: vi ruberà poco tempo e ne varrà la pena.
Ps. Inglese di livello medio/basso, ottimo per approcciarsi alla lingua e avere la "soddisfazione" di portare qualcosa a termine!
January 5, 2023
Loved the Threadlight series and adored this small but perfectly formed short. Zack Argyle is now on my "buy any book he writes" list!
December 28, 2022
5/5 stars.
Five Silver Rings came out to 13 pages on my kindle. This is definitely a short story. But it conveyed a depth of emotion and portrayed a genuine bond between husband and wife in that short time. I recommend checking this one out if you have a few minutes to spare.
Five Silver Rings came out to 13 pages on my kindle. This is definitely a short story. But it conveyed a depth of emotion and portrayed a genuine bond between husband and wife in that short time. I recommend checking this one out if you have a few minutes to spare.
January 29, 2024
I came across this short story and decided to read it on a whim and I’m thankful that I did. For how short it is, not even 20 pages, I enjoyed it. It leaves me curious to see if and how it ties into Argyle’s Threadlight trilogy, which I plan to read later this year.
March 27, 2023
A short fantasy story. Easy to read and very relatable. I enjoyed it! Downloaded it for free from Zachs's website. I'll be reading Threadlight at some point this year for sure after this!
October 30, 2023
Upon diving into Five Silver Rings, I was immediately reminded why I cherish Argyle's writing style so much. Argyle has delivered a short story that's both intimate and grand. Who would have thought all this could be done in such a short span of pages?
From the beginning, Misty's character is rich and layered. Her transition from her simple forest home to facing dark threats shows Argyle's skill in shaping characters. The descriptions of the dark, foggy forest and the creature of the mist set the story's mood right out of the gate.
What truly sets this short story apart is its exploration of love, memory, and the inevitable passage of time. The silver rings, acting as a portal to Misty's cherished memories with Skye, are not just plot devices but symbols of love's enduring and transformative power. These moving dives into the past serve as heart-wrenching contrasts to the present, making the stakes feel incredibly personal and urgent.
Argyle's prose is nothing short of exquisite. Each sentence is meticulously crafted, resonating with emotion and purpose. It's evident that every word has been chosen with care, creating a narrative tapestry that's both intricate and evocative.
Five Silver Rings is a standout addition to Argyle's place in the fantasy genre. It's a tale that's both heartrending and hopeful. Zack has solidified his place as a storyteller of note, and I eagerly anticipate his next short story in the upcoming Advent of Winter Kickstarter project. December can't come soon enough! I highly recommend this short story to any devoted fan of character-driven fantasy.
From the beginning, Misty's character is rich and layered. Her transition from her simple forest home to facing dark threats shows Argyle's skill in shaping characters. The descriptions of the dark, foggy forest and the creature of the mist set the story's mood right out of the gate.
"I am come to collect."
What truly sets this short story apart is its exploration of love, memory, and the inevitable passage of time. The silver rings, acting as a portal to Misty's cherished memories with Skye, are not just plot devices but symbols of love's enduring and transformative power. These moving dives into the past serve as heart-wrenching contrasts to the present, making the stakes feel incredibly personal and urgent.
Argyle's prose is nothing short of exquisite. Each sentence is meticulously crafted, resonating with emotion and purpose. It's evident that every word has been chosen with care, creating a narrative tapestry that's both intricate and evocative.
"She will forget."
Five Silver Rings is a standout addition to Argyle's place in the fantasy genre. It's a tale that's both heartrending and hopeful. Zack has solidified his place as a storyteller of note, and I eagerly anticipate his next short story in the upcoming Advent of Winter Kickstarter project. December can't come soon enough! I highly recommend this short story to any devoted fan of character-driven fantasy.
March 1, 2024
This was a really powerful short story by Zack Argyle that you can read for free by signing up for his mailing list. I recommend you do this right now!
At only about 20 pages long this was a very quick read, but still very powerful. Tackling themes of loss, love and marriage, the story was engaging from start to finish. I won't write too much about the plot, because with a story this short, anything would just be a spoiler.
All I will say is that if you have a spare 10 minutes, read this one now. You won't be disappointed. This was my first taste of Zack Argyle's writing and now I know his style really works for me. I'm now going to be reading his Threadlight series next. Reviews for those to come soon!
5 stars for Five Silver Rings :)
At only about 20 pages long this was a very quick read, but still very powerful. Tackling themes of loss, love and marriage, the story was engaging from start to finish. I won't write too much about the plot, because with a story this short, anything would just be a spoiler.
All I will say is that if you have a spare 10 minutes, read this one now. You won't be disappointed. This was my first taste of Zack Argyle's writing and now I know his style really works for me. I'm now going to be reading his Threadlight series next. Reviews for those to come soon!
5 stars for Five Silver Rings :)
October 22, 2022
A pretty little thing, this romantic fantasy short story
What I really missed was a proper introduction into the characters and their relationship. Something to make me care about them before the drama started. I think with that, it might have been phenomenal.
As it was though, I did enjoy it a lot after the initial bump in the road. And I loved the plot twist! Very creative.
This is totally clean btw, and I've classed it as adult but i'd suggest it to YA readers without any issues too.
What I really missed was a proper introduction into the characters and their relationship. Something to make me care about them before the drama started. I think with that, it might have been phenomenal.
As it was though, I did enjoy it a lot after the initial bump in the road. And I loved the plot twist! Very creative.
This is totally clean btw, and I've classed it as adult but i'd suggest it to YA readers without any issues too.
June 25, 2023
This was really sad. Very well written, but sad. I loved Zach's use of flashbacks to tell the story and the way he tied the rings to both the past and the present. Very cleverly written. But be prepared to be a little sad on the other side of it. At least, I was.
I listened to this lovely short read by Karyne Norton on her free www.findingfantasyreads.com podcast. The narration fit the story beautifully.
I listened to this lovely short read by Karyne Norton on her free www.findingfantasyreads.com podcast. The narration fit the story beautifully.
January 14, 2024
She would rather be with him in the darkness, than apart in the light.
This short (and free) story made me feel so much, it's hard to fathom. I have goosebumps just thinking about it.
Misty and Skye are a loving couple and one day, they see a monster. It's hard to say more since this is so short, so go read it yourself!
June 23, 2023
A bittersweet short story that packs a punch in 30 minutes. The loving couple of Misty and Sky are torn apart when a creature arrives to take her husband and restore balance leaving Misty only with the five silver rings he crafted for her. She discovers each ring is a message Sky left behind, loving, heartbreaking and they lead her to the truth.
September 30, 2023
FIVE SILVER RINGS (Review) FOUR-STARS ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️◽️
This is such a short story, only 20 pages or so, but Zack Argyle does a great job at making you feel for his characters. It’s a sad tale, but the world building and concept that is given to the reader in less that 20 pages is really impressive. I am looking forward to reading this authors full series!
This is such a short story, only 20 pages or so, but Zack Argyle does a great job at making you feel for his characters. It’s a sad tale, but the world building and concept that is given to the reader in less that 20 pages is really impressive. I am looking forward to reading this authors full series!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews