Shop Jurassic World Rebirth!
$0.00 with 100 percent savings
Digital List Price: $4.99

These promotions will be applied to this item:

Some promotions may be combined; others are not eligible to be combined with other offers. For details, please see the Terms & Conditions associated with these promotions.

You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.
Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

The Invisible Chains - Part 1: Bonds of Hate (Dark Tales of Randamor the Recluse) Kindle Edition

4.1 out of 5 stars 257 ratings

Anaxantis, prince of Ximerion. You will hate him... if your heart isn't big enough.

While the kingdom of Ximerion is threatened at its southern border by a major power, the high king sends his two youngest sons, the half brothers Anaxantis and Ehandar, as Lord Governors to the Northern Marches where minor raids by wild barbarians are expected. Under the guidance of an old and trusted general, the king hopes to keep the young princes far from the major conflict in the south, while at the same time providing them with a valuable learning experience. The estranged half brothers are rivals, but soon they feel attracted to each other. As if this was not enough of a complication, they begin to suspect that they were set up by their own father. The result is a fierce struggle for power where the lines between hate and love become almost indistinguishable and where nothing is what it seems.

Shop this series

 See full series
There are 7 books in this series.

Customers also bought or read

Loading...

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The book is thick with rich plotting, fully rounded characters, devious plotting and politics, and a hero who I both liked and disliked - he truly was a mix of anti-hero and true hero, and one of the best parts of the book was the conflicted personality of Anaxantis." ~Jenre - Well Read

"Well written and captivating, I experienced a wide range of emotions and felt at times like I was the one being deceived and lied to. I was sucked into the story faster than I thought possible and it took all I had to put the book down to get some sleep. "
~Nykita - Goodreads

"Thrilling, intense and engrossing. The plot is fantastic. I couldn't put this book down. It's a brilliant piece of storytelling. The characters all have their own very distinct voices and personalities. Even the bad guys are totally awesome!"
~Abby - Goodreads

From the Author

When I first thought of the story, my initial reaction was: "This isn't going to be for everyone. You expect people to learn strange names, words and concepts in weird languages, casually digest half-brothercest annex rape annex domination, your main hero has a few flaws, to put it mildly, and you liberally sprinkle political intrigue over the mixture. This story should come with its own supply of Pepto-Bismol."
From a fairly simple narrative it grew into a rather complex epic tale, set in a kind of medieval world, but, and this is important, not our Middle Ages. There are literally dozens of characters. It takes some effort, especially in the beginning, but I hope you will find it worth your while. Actually I am not so much just trying to tell a story as to create a series of books you can live in.
I can only hope some readers will like to visit this world and its many, many inhabitants occasionally.
---------------
Sample too short? Not certain if you want to invest that much time and money in a long, epic series? To help you decide the
first twelve chapters (60,000+ words) of Bonds of Hate, the first book in the Dark Tales of Randamor the Recluse series are online as a free read. Paste this link in your browser: ximerion.com/bf-azbp
---------------
Bonds of Hate is the first part of  a story arc of three, The Invisible Chains. It continues with Bonds of Fear  and ends with Bonds of Blood.
Wordcount: 122,500+
---------------
$5.99 -- temporary offer: $4.99
---------------
If you would like to receive an email when I release a new book, you can subscribe to my
New Releases Newsletter. Pasting this link in your browser will bring you to the subscription-page: ximerion.com/nrn-az

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B004ISLQYO
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Ormidon Publishing
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 17, 2013
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1.5 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 522 pages
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Book 1 of 7 ‏ : ‎ Dark Tales of Randamor the Recluse
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 out of 5 stars 257 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Andrew Ashling
Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

My current project is the Dark Tales of Randamor the Recluse series. By now there are several volumes. Not certain if you want to invest that much time and money in a long, epic series? Individual book samples too short? To help you decide you can download the first volume, Bonds of Hate, for free.

---------------

If you would like to receive an email when I release a new book, you can subscribe to my New Releases Newsletter. Paste this link in your browser to go to the subscription-page: http://www.ximerion.com/nrn-az

---------------

I started writing in January 2009, mainly gay, m/m, slash, yaoi stories. I suppose, with a few exceptions, I should call them novels really.

I have no great literary ambitions. I just tell stories, and I try to do it as good as I can, hoping other people will enjoy reading them.

Most of them have explicit scenes in them, often of a rather kinky nature. But they're only the raisins in the pudding, because -- as I already said -- I actually enjoy telling stories. That means there always is a plot, or, more often, several plots.

I love exploring what makes people tick, what makes them do the often quirky things they do. Also, I enjoy playing with expectations, boundaries, taboos even.

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
257 global ratings

Review this product

Share your thoughts with other customers

Customers say

Customers find the book's plot intriguing and engaging, with one review describing it as an action-adventure fiction with mystery. Moreover, the writing and characters receive positive feedback, with customers noting the author's skill and finding the characters fascinating. Additionally, customers appreciate the emotional impact of the book, with one review highlighting its balanced portrayal of human suffering.

34 customers mention "Readability"27 positive7 negative

Customers find the book captivating and an intense read, with one customer noting its well-thought-out story.

"...As long as the story is working it makes a good read. The same could be said about the hobbit series...." Read more

"...Keep studying. That said, this is a worthwhile read in the genre and for the price...." Read more

"...The first book is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. I have yet to read the next two books which I already purchased...." Read more

"...At its worst, this leads to an annoying repetitiveness of the "here he goes again" sort...." Read more

18 customers mention "Writing quality"13 positive5 negative

Customers praise the writing quality of the book, noting the author's skill, with one customer mentioning that the writing and story improve significantly over time.

"...There will not reviews of each separate volum I enjoy a well written story that is presented as an alternate reality...." Read more

"...that plugs along, with a couple of subplots, written in prose that is in general workmanlike but sometimes breaks apart a bit and becomes..." Read more

"...length and detail but not much quality, and the characterisations are fairly limited in complexity except for Anaxantis, and every other character..." Read more

"...These relatively small complaints aside, Mr. Ashling's writing can be overwhelmingly (and wonderfully) emotional at times, and I've read few other..." Read more

13 customers mention "Character development"13 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book, finding them fascinating, with one customer noting the author's ability to create dozens of personalities.

"...His ability to create dozens of personalities and make the story work is amazing...." Read more

"...In some ways the secondary characters are easier to like. Lorcko was my favorite--and not only because of the lilac scent he uses in his hair...." Read more

"...wrap around themselves throughout the book adding complexity, character development, and continuity...." Read more

"...The main plot is interesting and creative, and the main character fairly well developed, but many of the supporting characters merely orbit around..." Read more

5 customers mention "Emotional impact"4 positive1 negative

Customers appreciate the book's emotional impact, with one noting how it handles human suffering with equal aplomb.

"...That he is able to make both characters, incest and all, sympathetic is a tribute to Ashling's narrative skill...." Read more

"...The writer handles scenes of hilarity, camp, and human suffering with equal aplomb and in the end, I am left with excitement for the remaining..." Read more

"...Mr. Ashling's writing can be overwhelmingly (and wonderfully) emotional at times, and I've read few other authors who can create such wonderfully..." Read more

"...a greater monster than his rapist ever was, debasing and humiliating him in horrific ways, dehumanising and destroying him, glorifying in his pain..." Read more

Dark And Twisted And Delightful!!!
5 out of 5 stars
Dark And Twisted And Delightful!!!
I love stories that delve into the darkness we all have with in, the darkness that sometimes stirs to life, when we are at our lowest point. That's what happens here. You find yourself wavering between loathing one character, and feeling compassion for another, but then the tables turn and your emotions flip flop, again and again. I am off to the next installment. 😈😇😈
Thank you for your feedback
Sorry, there was an error
Sorry we couldn't load the review

Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on August 18, 2014
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    My comments, here, will cover my thoughts on all six of the books currently published in this series. I have read all six and have not done much else for several days. There will not reviews of each separate volum I enjoy a well written story that is presented as an alternate reality. Mr. Ashling has scored a home run with this collection. Each of the subsequent novels in the series hold up their part in an excellent way. This cannot be said for many sequels. He creates a medieval world that I would not want to live in but find fascinating as an observer. His ability to create dozens of personalities and make the story work is amazing. Lots of authors try but are not able to accomplish what he has done here. In each book Mr. Ashling has continued the work of the previous issue in a way that keeps you drawn in and wanting to know what will happen next. I agree with some reviewers who think that there are too many things that are not plausible and could not be accomplished by a teenager in any world that we know,but again as I have expressed in other reviews, why does it all ways have to make sense to be a good story? This is not our world and the same rules do not apply. The characters are free to do or not due whatever the author chooses. Accomplishing the improbable is what works to make a good tale. As long as the story is working it makes a good read. The same could be said about the hobbit series. With a few exceptions I can relate this effort to the works of Robert Jordan (The Wheel of Time collection) and even to Ronald Donaghe's 'Cinatis'.I do think that once you have started this series you will not want to miss what comes next. As all good authors do, he leaves us with wanting more and presents enough mystery to satisfy even the very experienced reader who may not be able to be impressed easily. I hope we are able to re-enter this world again in the near future. Roy Evans author of 'Yosemite Fire'
    2 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on December 12, 2011
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    The great thing about Andrew Ashling's Invisible Chains trilogy is that he's trying to create something ambitious--an erotic adventure story that is also, to some degree, serious fiction. To this end, he must capture his readers' interest with plenty of gay sex--and a handful of dreamy male characters--while at the same time probing the psychology that underlies their behavior. Does he succeed? Not always, but sometimes. And one should not underestimate the accomplishment.

    The author not only creates an imaginary world; he populates it with an impressive variety of human inhabitants. Like any fiction with many characters, Ashling's must rely on a few leading traits to differentiate one from another. At its worst, this leads to an annoying repetitiveness of the "here he goes again" sort. At its less worse, it engenders a range of impossible figures that seem to have stepped out of a not very original video game. Nevertheless, it takes a mind to pull the strings of so many unique personalities without making a tangled mess of it. If I wanted to carp, it wouldn't be with the casting of the minor characters, but with the stupid business of Randamor the Recluse, who is supposed to be telling the story but contributes nothing to it but pages prose one wants to skip. The novel has better things to do than this, I said to myself with each reappearance of old Randy. But who knows? Maybe there are readers who like this sort of nonsense.

    In fact, some of the readers Ashling has in mind probably confuse realism with graphic violence and rate the success of fiction according to its success in enabling them to do something they call "identifying" with one of the characters. With that in mind, no one could complain that The Invisible Chains lacks its share of disembowelments, and its central figure, the prince Anaxantis, undergoes a transformation from sickly, bookish youth into warrior-hero sex-idol (clearly modeled on Alexander the Great) that should gratify the vicarious longings of the most insecure teenager. But Ashling's version of the Cinderella story has more complexity than the fairytale (at least the Disney version). For Anaxantis turns out to be more like his dumbbell (but of course handsome and well-endowed) older brother Ehandar than either of them at first realize, and the novel's ripe confection of fraternal incest and sadomasochistic indulgence can reach the level of serious ambiguity. I like a book that asks something from its readers, and Ashling, when he can free himself from the shackles of erotic titillation, manages it from time to time.

    Of the two princes, Ehandar may be the more compelling character--perhaps because we see him suffer in such excruciating--and extended--detail when the tables of dominance are turned. But the brothers are also the most problematic characters in the novel. It is hard to believe that the oafish Ehandar could turn sensitive, to the point of composing flute melodies, and even more difficult to accept the fact that Anaxantis could behave in so many different ways on so many different occasions, for when he is good, he is very, very good, and when he is bad he is something akin to horrid. In the end, Ashling wants us to believe that his handsome prince has been altered by the cruel necessities of command, but the changes seem as transitory as the dust that Ehandar washes from his face when he returns from battle, when "it appeared to him as if he was not only cleaning up his brother's face, but actually wiping away the wrinkles" that had made the seventeen-year-old resemble a man of thirty. Just when Anaxantis looks like he's paying a price for winning the battle, the demands of genre fiction raise their unfortunately pretty face. We may have glimpsed the world of tragedy, but we are not allowed to cross over the border.

    I would like to say that both princes are crazy, and that Anaxantis' madness is a madness he shares with other great men. That's certainly one way to make sense of his inconsistent behavior, but it also, to some extent, distances the reader. It's one thing to identify with a dashing hero; it's another to identify with a dashing hero who is also bipolar. In some ways the secondary characters are easier to like. Lorcko was my favorite--and not only because of the lilac scent he uses in his hair. In a subplot that mirrors the story of the brothers, he is tested by Ambrick, who wants to discover if Lorcko's protests of affection are sincere. But Ambrick himself is destroyed by his testing, and the shallow Lorcko remakes himself into a complex, entirely admirable human being. It's not the tale we expect. The ugly Ambrick should have turned into the swan who gets the boy Leda, but that's not the way things work out here. And it's narrative twists like this that make the book worth reading. It contains many different stories and some of them both surprise and delight.

    Still, the relationship between Ehandar and Anaxantis lies at the core of the novel. That he is able to make both characters, incest and all, sympathetic is a tribute to Ashling's narrative skill. We may not identify with them, but at least we root for them. If I finished the third volume wishing to read more it was because I was curious to see how he would handle the next stages of the brothers' relationship. There, I thought, would be the real challenge for a novelist. And I suspect that Ashling, if he applies himself (and finds a friend who knows how to proofread), could bring it off.
    5 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on October 28, 2011
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    This is the first book by Mr. Andrew Ashling that I have read. Several other friends / people I follow either were reading or had read one of his newer books "A Dish Served Cold" and gave it great reviews. Because I didn't dare read it first (it has some scary plot lines, to me anyway!) I decided to start with a genre I'm more familiar with, the science fiction / fantasy category. I now know this is more of a post apocalyptic novel, but for me this category still fits.

    I am very happy I started here because I really loved Mr. Ashling's story. There are several interesting threads running through this first book in the Bonds of Hate series. The first one, and the one the reader gets the least number of clues about , is that of the story teller himself. Who is he, who is the man who is his audience, and what the heck is up with that stool! Many of the scenes between the two young prince / half brothers make me feel sad and lonely for them and make me angry at their despicable treatment of each other. They seem to be, in essence, two broken children unable to climb out of their predicament.

    There are also at least four other significant story threads that wrap around themselves throughout the book adding complexity, character development, and continuity. The writer handles scenes of hilarity, camp, and human suffering with equal aplomb and in the end, I am left with excitement for the remaining books in this series and a new found appreciation and warmth for Mr. Ashling's writing.

    Thank you, Andrew Ashling, for writing one of my new favorites!
    4 people found this helpful
    Report

Top reviews from other countries

  • Dia de Lux
    5.0 out of 5 stars A True Find
    Reviewed in Germany on October 24, 2011
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    The Invisible Chains - Part 1: Bonds of Hate is an intriguing, rich and well-written fantasy story in a medieval setting. I ran through a gamut of emotions while reading it, there were scenes of violence and cruelty, and heartbreak - never gratuitiously, though - while on the other side there was light-hearted, funny banter that made me giggle. A roller-coaster ride that had me clinging to the edge of my seat. A good long read!
  • BJ
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in Australia on July 31, 2016
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Terrific, I bought the complete series
  • A G
    5.0 out of 5 stars Cant put it down
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 27, 2020
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Anaxantis is a very compelling main character, that and the rich world and beautifully written story make it a REALLY enjoyable read. If you like captive prince you'll love this too!
  • Teddy
    4.0 out of 5 stars A brilliant FREE read!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 10, 2015
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    I found this read so damn intriguing, I really enjoyed it. Now in parts this book is written in the third person, and others in the first person. At first I was a little thrown by this but once I settled into this read, I became comfortable with it and liked it! There are many characters introduced throughout and all have good reason to be part of the story. I liked that I was standing on the outside watching the story unfold and then given privy to the characters thoughts and feelings on the situation taking place or to the opposing characters.

    The only criticism I have is that I found a small amount of the dialogue and depth lacking with various characters. Although for the majority it is well written.

    The role reversal of the Prince brother’s is gripping. Anaxantis is prudent and appealing, once released from his sickness and imprisonment he goes from strength to strength. He still appears to very aware of his weaknesses and respectful, so therefore doesn’t appear to become egotistical. From underdog to top dog took intelligence, calculation and integrity, but he conquer or fail? I am so intrigued by this I’m off to download book two.
  • SPerkins
    5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely recommended
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 11, 2020
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Note, I'm writing this review having finished the series, though I will try to avoid any sort of spoilers.

    I really cannot recommend this series enough if you, like me, love political maneuverings which see the 'underdog' coming out on top in the most satisfying way possible, while always having an element of risk as he plays the pieces on the board against each other. The last four books in the series are named after chess pieces, and that is an accurate image for what happens in the second arc of the story, and to a lesser extent in the first arc. Fans of The Captive Prince will probably find a similar character to Laurent in Anaxantis, though in this one it's told from Anaxantis' perspective for a good portion of the narrative so we actually see more of the thought that goes into his actions.

    In clearer terms, Anaxantis is a interesting, 3D character who undergoes character development throughout the series. The same can said of Ehander and some of the more prominent characters such as the High King and Tenaxos junior. From a writing style point of view, the first book is certainly the weakest, but by the second arc, the author shows a real flair for keeping the reader on the edge of their seat. I literally couldn't put the book down at certain points and have the bags under my eyes to prove it!

    Just one thing to be aware of - this is an M/M series, and a good 3/4 of the main characters are gay or pining after another guy. If that's not to your taste, don't read it and complain that there are lots of gay characters!

    The first book is free at the time of this review. If you think you might like it, why not give it a go?

Report an issue


Does this item contain inappropriate content?
Do you believe that this item violates a copyright?
Does this item contain quality or formatting issues?