Even Kings Play Checkers

By Chuck Martuzas

What if there were no exits on the road to redemption?

This disquieting collection of short stories bleeds with unforgettable characters struggling through broken relationships, psychological pain, and unresolved trauma.

Stumbling into voids never meant to be filled, these wounded souls lumber through the wreckage of palpable landscapes where the past is unrelentingly present. Seeking salvation, they'd settle for silence.

With twists at every corner as treacherous as rusted nails, this dark work of literary fiction flirts with poetry and prophecy in a uniquely lyrical voice. Steeped in allusion and metaphor, you will unearth something each time you read it.

Filled with hope and horror, promise and poison, Even Kings Play Checkers blends the visceral grit of Southern Gothic with the unsettling shimmer of magical realism in nine thematically connected tales.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0H8GN6QGP
• ISBN13: 9798186449645
• Release Date: July 2026
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 266 Pages
• Weight: 0.79 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.0" x 9.0"