A Crown of Chains

by Erin Phillips

Maybe I should be thankful that he didn’t even bother removing my clothing completely, but it only makes me feel more worthless. I wasn’t a woman to comfort him, or to give him joy. I was a thing for him to use to get some release. I was a thing over which he could exercise his power and control. And he did.

This book stuck to the gritty truth of being a concubine girl and didn't try to coat it with unrealistic romance. Well done.

Owen runs a hand through his hair, blinking and trying to find the right words. When he looks up at me, his eyes sparkle with fantasy. “You don’t just look beautiful tonight, you are beautiful, every day, every second, inside and out.” My stomach flutters at the words, the fear of being overheard crushed by the need to feel loved. “You deserve to be told that by someone who believes it.”

“In darkness we gain a deeper understanding of light’s brilliance. And I found the courage to open my eyes, to see that I was never alone in the dark.”