Chasing Graves (The Chasing Graves Trilogy, #1)

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Welcome to Araxes, where getting murdered is just the start of your problems To say that the concept of Chasing Graves is grimdark would be an understatement The world building is fantastic and reminiscent of Michael Moorcock s Elric series Grimdark Magazine Chasing Graves might well be one of the best releases not only for December but for the entirety of 2018 BookNest Galley has created a fascinating world that feels rife with stories its history is rich with detail and there s so many avenues to be explored Adam Weller, Fantasy Book Review Dark, tense and surprisingly hilarious Laura M Hughes, Author of Danse Macabre With detailed characters, a twisting plot, and a heavy dose of gory darkness, Ben Galley has once again produced a fantasy you can sink your teeth into The Grimmedian There s serious grounds here for building something spectacular Emma Davis, Fantasy Book Review A great first book to a series I sincerely can t wait to complete Novel Notions Meet Caltro Basalt He s a master locksmith, a selfish bastard, and as of his first night in Araxes, stone cold dead.They call it the City of Countless Souls, the colossal jewel of the Arctian Empire, and all it takes to be its ruler is to ownghosts than any other For in Araxes, the dead do not rest in peace in the afterlife, but live on as slaves for the rich.While Caltro struggles to survive, those around him strive for the emperor s throne in Araxes cutthroat game of power The dead gods whisper from corpses, a soulstealer seeks to make a name for himself with the help of an ancient cult, a princess plots to purge the emperor from his armoured Sanctuary, and a murderer drags a body across the desert, intent on reaching Araxes no matter the cost.Only one thing is certain in Araxes death is just the beginning From award winning author Ben Galley comes a new dark fantasy trilogy Inspired by Egyptian mythology and packed with dark humour, action, and intrigue, the Chasing Graves Trilogy is perfect for fans of Michael Moorcock, Brandon Sanderson, Scott Lynch and Joe Abercrombie Chasing Graves is a dark, compelling entry into a trilogy RockStarlit Book Asylum I enjoyed this book immensely, there rarely ever being a moment when I felt ready to put it down before I finished it Diogo Capelo, Goodreads Reviewer Chasing Graves, with its well paced and tight plot is complex, intricate and rewarding I can t wait to put my hands on the sequel Lukasz P, Goodreads Reviewer The characters are fantastic, colourful and well rounded Al Burke Read Chasing Graves (The Chasing Graves Trilogy, #1) – kino-fada.fr Here lies Araxes, City of Countless Souls, where death is the pretty shitty beginning of a whole new life , comprised immediately and forever of servitude and toil No perks No escapeNo food. For newly dead Caltro Basalt, this means being late for a very important date, a mysterious appointment in the Cloudpiercer Instead, his murder takes him on another path, no less dangerous, with stakes higher than life or death and deadly enough to topplethan kings Power over souls may be e Here lies Araxes, City of Countless Souls, where death is the pretty shitty beginning of a whole new life , comprised immediately and forever of servitude and toil No perks No escapeNo food. For newly dead Caltro Basalt, this means being late for a very important date, a mysterious appointment in the Cloudpiercer Instead, his murder takes him on another path, no less dangerous, with stakes higher than life or death and deadly enough to topplethan kings Power over souls may be everything, but in this cutthroat business, where high politics...I have loved other books by Ben Galley so when I was in a reading slump I decided to jump around in my reading order to get to this one, hoping for a little boost This was the correct decision, it jump started my love of reading again.The opening of this is a very short prelude and the first thing that struck me was how atmospheric it was, it s very descriptive without falling into the purple prose trap where it s overdone I felt the heat of the desert, smelled the decaying bodies, and was t I have loved other books by Ben Galley so when I was in a reading slump I decided to jump around in my reading order to get to this one, hoping for a little boost This was the correct decision, it jump started my love of reading again.The opening of this is a very short prelude and the first thing that struck me was how atmospheric it was, it s very descriptive without falling into the purple prose trap where it s overdone I felt the heat of the desert, smelled the decaying bodies, and was totally sucked into the setting in just a few pages.What s interesting is this book goes back and forth between first person and third person POV depending on which character we re following.I consider the first person POV to be the main POV, and I certainly liked him the most Caltro actually has a great sense of humor which nicely balanced the rather bleak storyline this book focuses on I feel if he wasn t as humorous as he was, I wouldn t have gotten on board as much with this story beca... A big thanks to Ben Galley for providing an ARC of Chasing Graves, in exchange for an honest review Spoiler free review Please note that the quotes in this review are taken from the ARC edition and may change in the published edition.You can find this andat Novel Notions.When Ben Galley revealed the cover of Chasing Graves and after hearing that it was an Egyptian mythology inspired fantasy, I knew I had to read the book My only experience with Galley s writing before CG was with The He A big thanks to Ben Galley for providing an ARC of Chasing Graves, in exchange for an honest review Spoiler free review Please note that the quotes in this review are taken from the ARC edition and may change in the published edition.You can find this andat Novel Notions.When Ben Galley revealed the cover of Chasing Graves and after hearing that it was an Egyptian mythology inspired fantasy, I knew I had to read the book My only experience with Galley s writing before CG was with The Heart of Stone and it was a book I very much enjoyed because of its writing, atmosphere, philosophy and the humanity and depth he insufflated in his not quite human main character Knowing that, I had the feeling I would embark in a deep and atmospheric reading journey with Chasing Graves and I m happy to say I wasn t wrong Caltro Basalt, master locksmith and occasional thief, crossed the Troublesome Se...I deeply enjoyed Galley s Heart of Stone This guy knows how to grab the reader s attention Once I learned about his new book, I put it near the top of my TBR list How could I say no to an early ARC of Chasing Graves You re right I couldn t.The story is nuanced, dark and complex A master locksmith, Caltro Basalt, dies a gruesome death on his first night at Araxes He won t enjoy eternal rest though Soulstealers led by Boss Boran Temsa turn him into a Shade a ghost slave and sell him to s I deeply enjoyed Galley s Heart of Stone This guy knows how to grab the reader s attention Once I learned about his new book, I put it near the top of my TBR list How could I say no to an early ARC of Chasing Graves You re right I couldn t.The story is nuanced, dark and complex A master locksmith, Caltro Basalt, dies a gruesome death on his first night at Araxes He won t enjoy eternal rest though Soulstealers led by Boss Boran Temsa turn him into a Shade a ghost slave and sell him to serve the rich.Somewhere between life and death, Caltro struggles to survive and make things right He doesn t realise he had a role to play in a cutthroat game of power Now, that he s dead, dead gods have a business with him Castro s arc intertwines with other complex stories featuring a cast of intriguing,...Although I haven t read many works by Ben Galley, his previous SPFBO entry Heart of Stone is one of my favorite standalone novels I ve read this year It presented a world ravaged by war, with an enslaved golem bound to serve and massacre under various generals throughout the centuries The story offered an intriguing take on enslavement and the sacrifices made when one s fate is trapped and bound to another Galley explores similar themes of enslavement in his latest novel, Chasing Graves, book Although I haven t read many works by Ben Galley, his previous SPFBO entry Heart of Stone is one of my favorite standalone novels I ve read this year It presented a world ravaged by war, with an enslaved golem bound to serve and massacre under various generals throughout the centuries The story offered an intriguing take on enslavement and the sacrifices made when one s fate is trapped and bound to another Galley explores similar themes of enslavement in his latest novel, Chasing Graves, book one of the eponymous Chasing Graves trilogy Whereas Heart of Stone offered an introspective look at one person s struggle to find meaning in his enslavement, Chasing Graves focuses on its effects on society at large.When I first opened the cover, I quickly realized how much time and effort Galley spent creating this detailed world I was imm...Araxes is a city full of ghosts Not the figurative kind mind you, and also not the playful and prankster kind that you see on certain paranormal television shows These ghosts have been ripped from their formerly living bodies, often through brutally violent murder, and then are subsequently bonded as slaves to serve whichever masters are the highest bidders It s not called the City of Countless Souls for nothing.This is also not a city that you want to be walking around in alone, but that s j Araxes is a city full of ghosts Not the figurative kind mind you, and also not the playful and prankster kind that you see on certain paranormal television shows These ghosts have been ripped from their formerly living bodies, often through brutally violent murder, and then are subsequently bonded as slaves to serve whichever masters are the highest bidders It s not called the City of Countless Souls for nothing.This is also not a city that you want to be walking around in alone, but that s just the situation that petty thief and locksmith Caltro Basalt finds himself i...This is my first Ben Galley book, and two things struck me the most pacing and world building.Galley doesn t waste unnecessary words or time and the plot moves forward at a good speed While I love long books, I highly appreciate shorter ones, since I m I almost don t dare and say it I m prone to skim descriptions Still, Galley takes care to introduce his characters, and they feel unique and three dimensional.It is, however, the first book in a series and doesn t stand on its own In fac This is my first Ben Galley book, and two things struck me the most pacing and world building.Galley doesn t waste unnecessary words or time and the plot moves forward at a good speed While I love long books, I highly appreciate shorter ones, since I m I almost don t dare and say it I m prone to skim descriptions Still, Galley takes care to introduce his characters, and they feel unique and three dimensional.It is, however, the first book in a series and doesn t stand on its own In fact, the ending is quite abrupt, with no real resolution, and there is quite a bit of set up.The world building is exquisite, refreshing, original and Galley dives straight into grimdark territory It is obvious that the author spent a lot of t...In a world where the ghosts of the dead are enslaved Read that in the movie trailer guy s voice That s the world of Chasing Graves In this Egyptian themed, pyramid heavy world, the doors to the afterlife are closed, and most ghosts are indentured upon death Caltro, our main protagonist who is kind of a lazy dick , found himself in that situation within the first chapter or two He s kind of a coward lockpicker, and he s pretty likable His story is in first person, an interesting choice w In a world where the ghosts of the dead are enslaved Read that in the movie trailer guy s voice That s the world of Chasing Graves In this Egyptian themed, pyramid heavy world, the doors to the afterlife are closed, and most ghosts are indentured upon death Caltro, our main protagonist who is kind of a lazy dick , found himself in that situation within the first chapter or two He s kind of a coward lockpicker, and he s pretty likable His story is in first person, an interesting choice when all of the other POVs are in third But, Galley pulls it of and it works.Of the POVs, Caltro and Nilith were my favorite they kept me reading past bedtime Overall, the plot was fairly straightforward and the real strength was the worldbuilding I had a need to learnabout this strange world Galley crea...Firstly, I d like to thank the author for giving me an advanced copy of this book I was so intrigued with the concept of an original fantasy world built with an Egyptian flavor that it was instantly pushed to the top of my TBR I am so glad for this decision Chasing Graves is a deliciously dark tale of treachery, secrets and murder filled with a cast of truly detestable characters whose intentions cannot ever be taken at face value The only drawback of reading the first installment of a seri Firstly, I d like to thank the author for giving me an advanced copy of this book I was so intrigued with the concept of an original fantasy world built with an Egyptian flavor that it was instantly pushed to the top of my TBR I am so glad for this decision Chasing Graves is a deliciously dark tale of treachery, secrets and murder filled with a cast of truly detestable characters whose intentions cannot ever be taken at face value The only drawback of reading the first installment of a series before its official release date is the grueling wait for...As always this review can also be found on my blog The Tattooed Book Geek characterisation and world building on display by Galley in Chasing Graves are both exceptional, Galley is highly talented and Chasing Graves is a hugely entertaining read.Caltro Basalt isn t a hero or a fighter, he s a thief and a renowned locksmith, one of the best but he s down on his luck When a mysterious papyrus letter appears on his doorstep requesting that he attend a m As always this review can also be found on my blog The Tattooed Book Geek characterisation and world building on display by Galley in Chasing Graves are both exceptional, Galley is highly talented and Chasing Graves is a hugely entertaining read.Caltro Basalt isn t a hero or a fighter, he s a thief and a renowned locksmith, one of the best but he s down on his luck When a mysterious papyrus letter appears on his doorstep requesting that he attend a meeting at The Cloudpiercer with a Nobel from Araxes he gets on a boat and travels to the city Moments after he arrives in Araxes, Caltro falls foul of a gang who work for a soulstealer, is killed and ends up de...Dark, tense and surprisingly hilarious, Chasing Graves is the accomplished opening novel in an exciting new trilogy.This is some of the most enjoyable and original fantasy I ve come across in a while It takes place in a world where death is not the end, but for many is just the beginning of your half life , generally meaning a life of servitude to the person who binds you upon your death or to whoever you re sold to Trading in the indentured is a large part of this world s economy, and the main character finds himself murdered and his ghost sold within the opening chapters of the book This sets off a This is some of the most enjoyable and original fantasy I ve come across in a while It takes place in a world where death is not the end, but for many is just the beginning of your half life , generally meaning a life of servitude to the person who binds you upon your death or to whoever you re sold to Trading in the indentured is a large part of this world s economy, and the main character finds himself murdered and his ghost sold within the opening chapters of the book This sets o...It s my stop on the massive blog tour in support of the wonderful Ben Galley There are four books involved and something like 140 bloggers Or thereabouts I don t know, I m shit at math There s a lot of us A METRIC FUCK TON I m excited to be a part of it It s the first time I ve ever joined in a blog tour Chasing Graves is the first installment in the trilogy of the same name, which was released in quick succession Three books within three months A series released in its entirety That It s my stop on the massive blog tour in support of the wonderful Ben Galley There are four books involved and something like 140 bloggers Or thereabouts I don t know, I m shit at math There s a lot of us A METRIC FUCK TON I m excited to be a part of it It s the first time I ve ever joined in a blog tour Chasing Graves is the first installment in the trilogy of the same name, which was released in quick succession Three books within three months A series released in its entirety That s not only ambitious as fuck, but completely bonkers If the first volume is any indication, however, then Galley has certainly pulled it off The knife was dragged from me, and the pain came, blossoming like smoke over a Scatter Isle volcano It crippled me, an...I think this is my first 5 star in months I loved everything about this and I m working on writing a full review today Fantastic.

Chasing Graves (The Chasing Graves Trilogy, #1)
  • English
  • 03 April 2017
  • Paperback
  • 391 pages
  • 0993517048
  • Ben Galley
  • Chasing Graves (The Chasing Graves Trilogy, #1)