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Chasing Graves by Ben Galley
Galley does an amazing job at utilising multiple character perspectives. It presents the numerous intrigues that are likely to be present throughout the trilogy and allows the reader to explore this new world from a variety of perspectives, including ghost, royalty, and everything in between. Although Caltro is positioned as the primary protagonist, all of the other characters are well-developed and never felt like filler; everyone has a distinct role to play in the story.
The relationship between Nilith and her deceased husband Farazar, in particular, is the novel’s high point. Galley does a great job of capturing this complicated and emotionally charged love/hate dynamic. I always felt sad when I had to end one of their chapters, so I’m hoping there will be more of them in the sequel.
Caltro has a strong writing style and a recognisable voice. He has a fantastic sense of humour despite all the bad things occurring to him and those around him, which keeps the book from getting depressing and makes the character likeable to the reader. He becomes a fantastic focal point for the trilogy.
Galley does a great job of fusing Egyptian mythology and fantasy to create this distinct realm. The concept of the hereafter as a passing through or journey (thus the pennies for the ferryman in the mouths of corpses) is flipped on its head in the most frightening way possible: the monies are used to ‘bond’ ghosts to slavery. Souls are effectively imprisoned; nothing can set them free.
This concept is both a frightening and effective illustration of how Galley uses mythology throughout the plot. The river Styx is now called Nyx, and the mention of gods emphasises the game’s mythical roots. The book is fast-paced and entertaining all around. Similar to Caltro, the reader is quickly thrust into this realm and must make their way through this bizarre metropolis.
There is no pointless material dropped in the middle of a chapter for the reader to wade through; instead, the reader learns about Araxes and the world in a very natural way. This keeps the narrative moving and the reader interested all the way to the end. What a cliffhanger that conclusion is too! I can’t wait to start the second book. If you enjoy fantasy, then definitely check out Chasing Graves.
About The Book
Meet Caltro Basalt. He’s a master thief, a selfish drunkard, and as of his first night in Araxes, stone cold dead.
They call Araxes the City of Countless Souls, the colossal jewel of the Arctian Empire, and all it takes to be its ruler is to own more ghosts 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 and tries to reclaim his freedom, 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 daughter plots to purge the emperor from his armoured Sanctuary. And a resolute 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.
The Review
Chasing Graves
9 Score
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 in after being summoned to do a job by an anonymous employer residing in a large tower known as Cloudpiercer in the heart of the city.
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