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Freedom and Friendship
A Winter of Chains follows a man that escapes imprisonment only to wind up in a worse situation while trying to gain his freedom. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
For a few years leading up to this book, I’d been reading histories about slavery and the Australian penal colony. I guess the topic just got stuck in my head and I needed to get it out in my own way.
With Everything that Ford endures, he goes through a lot of personal growth. Did you create an outline for the characters in the story before you started writing or did the characters personalities grow organically as you were writing?
Half and half. I outlined the main characters’ growth for this book, but they’d also appeared in previous books, so they had personalities of their own already. Those personalities guided the action.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Freedom and friendship. The working title was Tiers of Freedom, but in the end I felt like that was hitting the nail too squarely on the head. I went with A Winter of Chains, because it possessed more poetry in its allusions.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I’m working on the fourth book of the Beyond Barlow series. It should be ready by the summer of 2023 with any luck!
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Unjustly imprisoned upon a desolate island, Ford Barlow desires freedom more than anything. His second wish would be to enact vengeance upon a certain pesky priest. After finally getting off the island, he and his friends soon find themselves wallowing deep in the heart of Dargkivi, a remote underground slave city where a dwarfish race of greedy sadists toy with the lives of their captives.
Escape is elusive. Attempt after attempt leads Ford deeper into danger. He struggles through caves, mines, sea and arena battles, and the ruins of a lost city where blood-thirsty creatures lurk in the hidden crevasses of the icy wilds. When a golden opportunity to escape does come along, a revealed truth and a purpose greater than himself changes everything.
A Winter of Chains
In A Winter of Chains, the third book in Jason R. Koivu’s Beyond Barlow series, Ford Barlow desires freedom and wishes to enact vengeance against a priest. Ford and his friends are unjustly imprisoned on a desolate island. After finally getting off the island, they find themselves in the heart of an underground slave city. Ford Barlow and his friends must first escape the city to gain freedom. Ford goes on many adventures throughout the book, and he must be one of the most unlucky humans in the book as, more often than not, he finds himself in another predicament.
The characters were all deserving of a role in this book. It reminded me of The Lord of The Rings, where there are probably hundreds of characters, and they all play a role regardless of how long their story arc may be. Even the side characters felt fully fleshed out. Ford is a character that you get attached to. From giants to wolves to being held captive, he is always escaping danger and putting readers on edge, wondering if this will be the one thing that finally does him in. Which only made me love his character even more. I was constantly rooting for him to have a turn of luck and keep his freedom. I also loved the relationship between Ford and Will and the development of their bond.
This suspenseful book is exciting, with plenty of twists and turns that keep readers engaged. The world-building was well done, and I could easily imagine the setting, which made the book more enjoyable. I appreciate that a map is included in the book to help readers follow the journey the characters embark on.
A Winter of Chains is a riveting fantasy novel. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a great coming of age and adventure story. The book is well-written, and the characters are well-developed. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.
Pages: 484 | ASIN : B09VMWGF5X
LITERARY TITAN 