A Tide of Black Steel
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4.4 • 212 Ratings
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
From the international bestselling author Anthony Ryan comes the spectacular first novel in a new epic fantasy trilogy inspired by Norse mythology.
A new age has dawned. An age of blood and steel. An age of wrath.
"A gripping epic." ––Publishers Weekly
The land of Ascarlia, a fabled realm of bloodied steel and epic sagas, has been ruled by the Sister Queens for centuries. No one has dared question their rule.
Until now.
Whispers speak of longships of mysterious tattooed warriors, sailing under the banners of a murderous cult of oath-breakers long thought extinct. A tide of black steel that threatens to vanquish all in its path.
Thera of the Blackspear, favored servant of the Sister Queens, is ordered to uncover the truth. As Thera sails north, her reviled brother, Felnir, sets out on his own adventure. He hopes to find the Vault of the Altvar – the treasure room of the gods – and win the Sister Queens’ favor at his sister’s expense.
Both siblings – along with a brilliant young scribe and a prisoner with a terrifying, primal power – will play a part in the coming storm.
The Age of Wrath has begun.
For more from Anthony Ryan, check out:
Covenant of Steel
The Pariah
The Martyr
The Traitor
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Bestseller Ryan (the Draconis Memoria series) launches his Age of Wrath series with a gripping epic that pits pseudo-Viking nations in competition for the favor of their gods. Trouble on the edges of Ascarlia, the domain of the three Sister Queens, sends the monarchs' chief agent, Thera of the Blackspear, to investigate rumors of returning demons. Meanwhile, Thera's brother, the notorious exile Felnir Skyrnrak, is tasked by their great-grandfather, a counselor to the queens, with finding the treasury of the gods by assisting a scholar with heretical religious beliefs. A third story line follows a simple fisherman who's captured by red-tattooed invaders and forced into gladiatorial games after they discover his innate power when enraged to morph into a killing machine. Ryan rapidly shifts between plotlines, bounding from one cliffhanger to the next. While much of the action will feel familiar to fans of Norse fantasy, Ryan distinguishes himself with deep dives into his characters' psyches and motivations. This is an exciting start.
Customer Reviews
5/5
Great book!
Lots of names.
This book went back and forth with several characters. There were so many characters with difficult names it was hard to follow. The story was an epic one but complicated. Characters were not likeable at times. I really wanted to like this book.
One of the best books I’ve read
I’ve read most of Anthony Ryan’s books I was a huge fan of the covenant of steel probably my favorite book series of all time and so far this series had the potential to be even better I’m super excited to read book two of age of wrath