Synopsis:
As the Age of Wrath reaches its bloody conclusion, the world will be reforged in steel and fire . . .
Thera Blackspear was once champion to the Sister Queens. Now she’s a queen herself, with Elvine as her spear maiden, wielding a weapon forged by the gods. But while the traitorous Sister Lore plots in the shadows, Ascarlia will never be safe.
Felnir has won a crown of his own and forged a kingdom at the tip of his divine blade. Yet his dreams are troubled by visions of the brother he thought long dead. A brother who needs his help, and whom Felnir would give anything to save – even his hard-won kingship.
Ruhlin’s many victories have made him a hero to the Morvek, who believe he is the prophesied saviour who will overthrow their Nihlvarian enemies. But now he finds himself a prisoner of the Vortigurn, the King of Nihlvar, who has secrets and schemes of his own.
Secrets that could unmake the world.
Upon the Forge of Battle is the epic conclusion to Anthony Ryan’s Age of Wrath trilogy, a gripping fantasy saga of bloody retribution, deadly intrigue, and soaring heroism.
Review:
An ambitious series for fans of John Gwynne’s The Shadow of the Gods.
Told through four main perspectives, the world is reforged in a bloody culmination of war, dark intrigue, and complicated, stained heroism.
It is an intriguing grimdark, Norse-inspired fantasy with a bloody, gritty, and action-heavy plot featuring murderous cults, longships, divine blades, and crumbling empires.
There is character development across the series and lots of adventuring and reveals.
The main drawback is having so many protagonists which led to weakening of the strong bonds and attachment with their relationships forged, leading to less emotional impact.
Authors I would compare Anthony Ryan in terms of structure and reveals would be John Gwynne and Richard Swan. Without veering into spoilers, it starts at a small, personal level and expands to world-forging consequences.
This instalment was filled with less conspiracy and intrigue than the preceding two, instead opting for action and battles. Whilst this makes sense for a climactic ending, my own tastes veer towards character building and slower moments.
I found the ending quite rushed with left open threads for future books set in this world. This current trend in publishing for related future series does frustrate me as someone who likes the satisfaction of completing series.
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