Chained

A Choice of Light and Dark, Book 1

By: Lacey Lehotzky

Narrated by: Daphne Fields, Gideon Frost

Narrated duet-style by Gideon Frost and Daphne Fields.

Years in chains have taught Princess Izidora one harsh truth: trust no one. When she is finally freed on her twenty-first birthday, Izidora finds herself in an unfamiliar world brimming with danger and intrigue. Surrounded by the warriors who rescued her, the lost princess remains guarded as they journey toward Vaenor, the heart of the vicious Night Realm. Yet, her resolve is tested by High Lord Kazimir Vaszoly, the formidable leader of the Nighthounds. He seems to orbit her like she's his sun, ever-present and unyielding, especially when her traumatic past threatens to consume her. As their journey progresses, Izidora's distrust blooms into something far more potent and unsettling—an irresistible attraction that could unravel her carefully constructed defenses.

But in a realm ruled by a mad king and filled with scheming courtiers eager to exploit her naivety, Izidora and Kazimir must navigate a perilous path. Will their developing love survive their arrival or will they be torn apart at the whims of the mad king?

Chained is the first book in the bestselling dark romantasy series A Choice of Light and Dark. With a cast of morally grey characters, MMCs with touch her and die energy, and a prophecy that will change the course of history, dive deep into this dark + spicy story of trauma healing and finding love. Perfect for fans of Gild (The Plated Prisoner Series), To Bleed a Crystal Bloom, and Game of Thrones. Chained contains scenes and themes that some readers might find disturbing. A full list of TWs can be found on the author's website.

©2023 The Lehotzky Group LLC (P)2024 The Lehotzky Group LLC

If you’ve read any other fantasy book, you’ve already read this one

A girl gets rescued from a tower, takes a bunch of baths and eats a whole lot. Despite the fact that she’s been in iron chains her whole 21 years, she’s super strong and definitely the chosen one. Also, they bang. This book could have been a novella.

Okay

I liked a lot about this book doesn’t get me wrong I HATED the mate shit like it seriously took them the whole book to realize they were mates I mean seriously are they dumb. Overall tho I liked the characters they were fun and funny and I genuinely enjoyed the book. I did also hate at the end where she like has all this power n shit but just stood there watching her friends fight for her n shit like idk man.

Love this book

Spoiler: I fell in love with the book once their relationship blossomed. Him teaching her how to hone in on her magic, absolute perfection. The end of this book had me pacing my floors.

Darkly fantastical story with beautiful duet narration

This is the first book in the A Choice of Light and Dark series, a dark romantic fantasy about a rescued princess who has to try to learn how to function in a world she’s never been a part of, and her rescuer that spent years looking for her. Tropes include touch her and die vibes, feminine rage, found family, mental health and trauma representation, and he falls first. Please check the content warnings before reading as there are some dark topics/themes in this book. In addition, there are a number of open door spicy scenes in this book.

The Lovely: The characters, main and secondary, were well rounded, flawed and lovable. The FMC might be haunted by her dark past but her tenacity propels her forward. The MMC’s obsession seemed over the top (repetitive) at first but a revelation towards the end of the story helps to explain why he was like that. This book might be the best found family story I’ve read since Lady of Darkness. I loved each of them, and everyone’s relationships with each other.

Also Lovely: The plot and tension made it nearly impossible to put this book down. The concept/history is something I haven’t seen done before. At first I thought she was getting over her trauma “too quickly” until you remember how long their journey was and that she was highly motivated to learn. And it’s no one’s business to dictate how someone deals with trauma (or on what timetable). There’s a nice ebb and flow to the pacing that worked well without overwhelming or stressing the reader.

Audiobook: This audiobook is done in duet style narration, where the dialogue flips back and forth between two narrators. This makes the dialogue feel much more “movie like” and as if you’re present. I loved the two narrators for this book. The male narrator is all sorts of growly and just sounds morally gray. The female narrator is perfect for Izidora and I loved how you could hear Izidora going from a scared, terrified victim to someone stronger and more self assured.

Rating: 5/5 Stars 4/5 Flames

Recommendation: I loved, loved this book in a way I haven’t loved a book all around in a while. It had everything I want in a dark romantasy (ok, except maybe a shadow daddy, but the MMC does have wings). How is it possible for a book to make such an emotional impact? If you like romantasy books with a darker undertone but heavy on the character relationships, you would like this.

A fast-paced, dark romantasy

One freed princess, one dangerously devoted High Lord, and a prophecy already sharpening its knives ⛓️🌙

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆ (3/5)
Spice-meter: 🌶️🌶️☆☆☆ (2/5)
Audiobook: 🎧 Duet-style
Series: A Choice of Light and Dark, Book 1
HEA: No, cliffhanger ending

Chained is a fast-paced, dark romantasy opener that blends trauma recovery, court intrigue, and simmering enemies-to-lovers tension into an easy-to-devour introduction to A Choice of Light and Dark. It doesn’t aim to reinvent the genre, but it does deliver a moody, addictive ride filled with morally gray warriors, protective devotion, and found-family energy that makes you want to keep turning pages long past your bedtime.

This was my first Lacey Lehotzky read, and while it doesn’t hit ACOTAR, Gild, or TOG heights, it absolutely succeeds as a fun, bingeable romantasy. The plot leans predictable, yes, but the romance, group dynamics, and overall atmosphere keep it engaging. Think less “mind-blowing twists” and more “cozy-dark comfort read with claws.”

The Story

After twenty-one years in chains, Princess Izidora is finally freed and thrust into a world she barely recognizes. Her rescue delivers her straight into the heart of the Night Realm, where danger, politics, and whispered prophecies rule every corner. Surrounding her is a tight-knit group of elite warriors who quickly become her unexpected shield, and possibly her new family.

At the center of it all stands High Lord Kazimir Vaszoly. Intense. Unyielding. Devoted in a way that borders on worship. As Izidora tries to navigate trauma, power, and her identity as a lost princess, her growing connection with Kazimir blurs the line between safety and surrender. But with a mad king watching and dark forces circling, love is far from safe, and fate already has other plans.

What I Loved

✔️ Found-family energy with strong banter
✔️ Touch-her-and-die MMC vibes
✔️ A protective, orbiting hero who is absolutely down bad
✔️ Easy, fast pacing that makes this a bingeable read
✔️ Dark fantasy atmosphere without overwhelming complexity

🎧 Narration

Narrated in duet-style by Gideon Frost and Daphne Fields, both delivered solid, fitting performances that brought warmth, tension, and emotion to the story. Their voices suited the characters well and made for a smooth, immersive listening experience.

Tropes & Vibes

✔️ Enemies to Lovers
✔️ Dark Romantasy
✔️ Morally Gray MMC
✔️ Touch-Her-and-Die
✔️ Found Family
✔️ Prophecy
✔️ Cliffhanger Ending

Final Thoughts

Chained is not groundbreaking but it is enjoyable, atmospheric, and undeniably bingeable. It delivers protective devotion, cozy-dark romantasy vibes, and a romance that keeps you invested even when the plot leans familiar. If you love found family, moody fantasy settings, and morally gray heroes who would burn kingdoms for their girl, this is absolutely worth picking up. And yes, I’ll be continuing the series.