A Wager of Love and Violence

De: Uriah Rowland

Narrado por: Jackson Garlington

Obadiah Koplan’s world is shattered when his husband, Xander, is murdered. Overwhelmed and in shock, he assumes the voices he's hearing are a byproduct of his loss, a form of grief induced psychosis. But when these voices give way to terrifying hallucinations, Obie is left questioning his own sanity.

Desperately trying to hold himself together while seeking justice for his husband, Obie is thrust into a bizarre and twisted game of chance where he is forced to confront a painful and abusive past, manipulated by two immortal beings he can’t be sure exist outside of his own insanity. Who are these entities? What do they want? And, most importantly, do they know what happened to Xander?

Trigger Warning: childhood trauma and abuse.

©2025 Amy Rowland-Urias (P)2025 Amy Rowland-Urias

Raw, Heartbreaking, and Completely Worth It

So I went into this audiobook almost completely blind, and honestly I was not prepared for how intense and emotionally heavy this story was. I was given the trigger warning, so I expected some childhood trauma… but the way it was written hit a lot harder than I personally anticipated. I actually sat there with tears in my eyes because those scenes felt so real and raw.

What I really appreciated was how intentional everything felt, nothing was thrown in just for shock value. The pacing, the character arcs, the emotional payoff… the supernatural element was brilliant and everything built up in a way that made the ending hit even harder. I kind of saw it coming but still got blindsided in the best way.

This is one of those stories that sticks with you after you finish. I’m genuinely excited for book two, I’ll be listening the moment it drops.

The journey through grief, love and found family is amazing.

Reading this story brought joy from long forgotten memories, and grief still hidden from family lost. The sacrifice for love was the shocking plot twist I needed.

spot on

when faced with a loved ones , death in overwhelming . grave One might choose to switch places when the loved. because live on without them is to hard for them to Imagine Take it possibly, be consumed by Violence or love..... It has a twist at the end.

A Chain of Violence

I was asked to give this book a listen from a friend, we'll call her D. If you're looking for a book that every tiny detail for scenery, this may not be your speed, it is however very story driven and the hits don't stop coming. If you're not one for reality scenarios as far as child abuse goes, this may not be for you as well for it's VERY heavy in that department.
If you ARE looking to see life through the darker side of life, of what some children go through on a daily basis and to better understand their mindset, read or listen to this book. It feels like the author may be closely connected to this topic by either personal experience or 2nd hand knowledge of the topic. The ending didn't go as I had hoped, but it's not my story to tell and I'm here for the ups and downs no matter how they come.

To the Author: If this is personal experience, I hope that writing these books has brought a small bit of peace of mind to you. To be able to bring to light behind the scenes of abused children and what they endure isn't an easy topic, but if it is personal, it may be eye opening to readers. Thank you for this book and I look forward to listening to the next when it arrives on audible.

A very unique and thought-provoking story

Obadiah’s world is turned upside down in the wake of tragic violence that rips the love of his life, Xander, from him. The mystery surrounding Xander’s murder plagues Obie and forces him on a journey to discover why this happened to his husband. Grief-stricken, Obie begins hallucinating - hearing things and even seeing things. As Obie fights to get to the bottom of this mystery, he comes face to face with powers he never imagined existed. And he’s faced with the worst of humanity, but also the best of humanity. Each side struggling to enact their power over Obie and show him why he should choose either Violence, or Love. Obie just wants his Xander back, but can he find a way to outsmart these powers even as they threaten to destroy him?
This story was so unique, emotional, and thought-provoking. You truly see the worst of humanity, and the struggle of those who have witnessed it to decide if they will let their light shine in spite of it all, to see the best of humanity. To even be the best. Of humanity.
The narrator was a fantastic pick for this story! He really brought the characters to life!