FeaturedEpic Fantasy

Chasing Graves

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Loved it! 😍

Fast-paced and fun, Chasing Graves is a must for all fans of fantasy.

Galley’s use of multi-character perspectives is incredible. It gives the reader a chance to explore this new world from various angles; from ghost to royalty to everything in between, as well as introduces the various intrigues that are presumably present in the trilogy. Caltro is set up as the main protagonist but all the characters are well-developed and never felt superfluous; all had their own part to play in the narrative. In particular, the relationship between Nilith and her dead husband Farazar is the highlight of the novel; a complex and emotional love/hate dynamic that Galley conveys really well. I was always sad finishing their chapters and I hope to see more of them in the second book. Caltro is also really well-written with a distinctive voice. Despite all the terrible things happening to and around him, he has this great sense of humour which stops the novel becoming bleak and makes him endearing to the reader. He is a great character for the trilogy to centre on.    


Galley also blends Egyptian mythology and fantasy really well to create this unique world. The idea of the afterlife as a passing or voyage (hence the coins for the ferryman in corpses’ mouths) is turned on its head in the most terrifying way possible:  the coins are used to ‘bind’ ghosts to servitude. Instead of setting them free, souls are effectively trapped. This idea is both a terrifying yet a clever example of Galley’s use of mythology throughout the story. The Styx river is renamed Nyx here and the mention of gods also highlight the mythical roots of Chasing Graves.


Overall, the book is a fast-paced, fun read. The reader is thrown into this world with little introduction, so very much like Caltro they must navigate this strange city. The reader learns about Araxes and the world very organically; there is no unnecessary information dumped in the middle of a chapter that the reader has to wade through. This helps to keep the story flowing and the reader engaged until the end. And what a cliff-hanger that ending is! I’m itching to read the second book. If you enjoy fantasy, then definitely check out Chasing Graves.  

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Lou has been blogging on Random Book Reviews Web for nearly 3 years, reviewing a mixture of books from historical fiction to romance to non-fiction. When not reading she can be found at her local cinema, theatre or in her kitchen attempting to bake.

Arrivals & Departures

About the author

Ben Galley is a bestselling fantasy author hailing from Victoria, Canada. Since publishing his debut The Written in 2010, Ben has released a range of award-winning fantasy novels, including the weird western Bloodrush and the epic standalone The Heart of Stone, and the new Chasing Graves Trilogy. view profile

Published on December 07, 2018

150000 words

Contains mild explicit content ⚠️

Genre: Epic Fantasy

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