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The Chains You Defy

Emily Villin

Format(s)

Ebook

Applications Close

Oct 30, 2025

Est. Publication Date

Dec 13, 2025

Romance, Fantasy

Description

"He was a god walking among the ordinary folk, the boot to the ant, the perfect predator, and everyone else less than prey. It was obvious he was used to letting those surrounding him experience how abundantly inferior they were compared to him."

An ordinary small-town woman who hates being caged, a murderous soldier with an overprotective streak, a chosen family that is more dysfunctional than it meets the eye—and a plethora of broken promises. Even if their mission isn’t shrouded in mystery anymore—the circumstances are dire, and when the worlds are on the line, every wrong move could result in absolute failure.

After months of keeping my mouth shut, my biggest secrets are out of the bag. And, of course, the tiny female I’d grown close to couldn’t deal with the truth, ran away and left me to die. Yes, me—as unbelievable as it sounds.

Admittedly, not only Nayana but also a little mishap including a library and a wayward book, are to blame that she has been kidnapped by a man who wants to see her dead. But she’s in luck—since I need her alive even more than he desires revenge, I’ll have her back in no time, without a doubt.

Doesn’t matter that my magic has been hiding from me ever since my past kicked me where it hurts the most or that the grandfather I loath more than Thain is breathing down my neck.

Ivreia has to face the fact that as long as my woman won’t return to my side, the entire world will run red with rivers of blood. Nobody or nothing will stop me—neither my comrades nor my rather frail disposition, and most definitely not the high and mighty tyrant who believes he controls my every move.

"The Chains You Defy" is the second installment in the "A Requiem for Fading Worlds" dark romantic fantasy series, continuing after the events of "The Freedom You Seek". The story centers around Nayana, an ordinary small-town woman with a rebellious streak who gets involved in a mission bigger than herself, as well as Dion, a flawed soldier with a bad temper and a massive ego who is trying to leave his past behind. Together with Dion’s comrades, the two embark on a journey into the heart of history and soon find out that sometimes someone has to step up to save everything.

The novel tells a story about unraveling mysteries, self-discovery, uncovering the truth, and maybe even saving the worlds, which actually might be easier than dealing with love.

Tropes

Character-driven, dark Romantasy with an overarching, campaign-like plot; first person, past tense with dual POV; slow burn; angst/romantic tension/lots of mutual pining; found family; medieval-ish road trip; one horse; proximity out of necessity; mysteries and magic; secrets that have secrets; overcoming trauma; finding your place in a world that seems already doomed; flawed characters with a lot of room to develop; a FMC from a small town who is confronted with all the lies she’s been told and fights to be stronger than she ever thought she could be; a walking red flag & morally black and possessive MMC whose secrets are as dark as the magic he wields

Content Warnings

Physical violence; mentioning of threatened homicide; domestic violence; mentioning of sexual assault / attempted rape (not from MMC); trauma work; murder; oppression; gender inequality; controlling behavior; explicit sexual scenes; alcohol as a method of coping; blood and gore; cursing/swearing; tolerating / enjoying red flag-actions; genocide; racism (concerning different species); classism; magical illnesses; grooming; gaslighting; drugging; brainwashing; sexual coercion (not done by MMC); drugging in a sexual environment; mistreatment by family members; power abuse; self-harm; voyeurism; parasites

Spice Level

2 - Spicy

Bonus Content Included

Book contains art inside

Special Instructions

This novel is recommended for 18+. It can be very dark at times, and your mental health matters. Please check the trigger warnings first.

“The Chains You Defy” is the second installment in a series of four. “The Freedom You Seek,” the first installment in the series, has 158k words and is available on Kindle Unlimited.

Preferred Review Sites

Author Website

Details

Publisher:

Length:

Approx. 180k words

Narrator(s):

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