Ironhold: Trial Four

Ironhold #4

by Morgan Rice

“Action-packed …. Rice's writing is solid and the premise intriguing.”
--Publishers Weekly (re A Quest of Heroes)

“I await each release by this author eagerly and have never been disappointed!”
--Book Reviewer (Wish)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

From #1 bestseller Morgan Rice comes the fourth book in a spectacular new fantasy series, ideal for fans of Rebecca Yarros and Suzanne Collins.

From USA Today and #1 bestseller Morgan Rice, author of A Quest of Heroes (over 5,000 five star ratings) comes the long-awaited debut of a thrilling new romantasy series.

Lyra Thornwind’s past comes back to haunt her when a new threat forces her to confront her old life and the person she's become. In the arena, she faces off against a new gladiator with a dark history of persecution against beast-whisperers. Alaric's ambition clashes with Lyra's moral stance, straining their relationship, while Rowan's unwavering support becomes a sanctuary. Lyra delves deeper into the ancient magic of beast communion, unlocking new powers that blur the line between human and creature. The season climaxes with a daring feat that threatens to expose corruption at the highest levels of Aethorian society.

In the captivating world of IRONHOLD, romance, danger, and fantasy intersect in a universe brimming with magic and peril. This gripping saga keeps readers of all ages spellbound, offering a unique twist on the genre. Be swept away by a narrative that seamlessly blends destiny, passion and sorcery with fierce combat, set against a backdrop both brutal and mesmerizing. The IRONHOLD series promises an enthralling adventure that will leave you breathless and craving more.

Future books in the series are also available!

“Loved it. Kept me on my toes like the whole time. It made me want to keep reading even when I was supposed to be sleeping.”
--Book Reviewer (Wish)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“The beginnings of something remarkable are there.”
--San Francisco Book Review (re A Quest of Heroes)

“Has all the ingredients for an instant plots, counterplots, mystery, valiant knights, and blossoming relationships replete with broken hearts, deception and betrayal. It will keep you entertained for hours, and will satisfy all ages. Recommended for the permanent library of all fantasy readers.”
--Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (re The Sorcerer’s Ring)

141 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 4, 2025

About the author

Morgan Rice is the #1 bestselling and USA Today bestselling author of the epic fantasy series THE SORCERER’S RING, comprising seventeen books; of the #1 bestselling series THE VAMPIRE JOURNALS, comprising twelve books; of the #1 bestselling series THE SURVIVAL TRILOGY, a post-apocalyptic thriller comprising three books; of the epic fantasy series KINGS AND SORCERERS, comprising six books; of the epic fantasy series OF CROWNS AND GLORY, comprising 8 books; of the new epic fantasy series A THRONE FOR SISTERS, comprising eight books (and counting); and of the new science fiction series THE INVASION CHRONICLES. Morgan’s books are available in audio and print editions, and translations are available in over 25 languages.

TURNED (Book #1 in the Vampire Journals), ARENA ONE (Book #1 of the Survival Trilogy), A QUEST OF HEROES (Book #1 in the Sorcerer’s Ring) and RISE OF THE DRAGONS (Kings and Sorcerers—Book #1) are each available as free downloads!

Morgan loves to hear from you, so please feel free to visit www.morganricebooks.com to join the email list, receive a free book, receive free giveaways, download the free app, get the latest exclusive news, connect on Facebook and Twitter, and stay in touch!

Reviews

[Julie Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given an ARC of this book and I enjoyed it. I liked how Lyra dealt with all the battles facing her - the fights, the people and her emotions.

In an unfair world where magic is used to benefit those in power, Lyra continues to comply with the rules in the hope of being free at the end of five seasons. She has an affinity for animals, but most think this is dangerous, thus making her the enemy. Lyra has a kind heart but the odds are against her...will she survive in this hostile world?

This was a well-written and fast-paced read with plenty of action and a great sense of place.

Engaging, entertaining and recommended.

[Heather M Jones-Lancto · Rating 3 out of 5]

Poorly Edited

I am enjoying the story but book four had way too many typos. Book one was well edited but each new installment in the series has gotten worse. I would say this book had at minimum one typo per paragraph. Often it was two words without a space in between. Very distracting. Takes away from the story when you have to decipher words.

[Carolee Horning · Rating 5 out of 5]

The poor editing is getting ridiculous.

[nina_story_books · Rating 5 out of 5]

🎉 Finalmente sono arrivata a La Quarta Prova — e posso dire senza esitazione che è il mio preferito finora.
⚔️ Più azione, 🔥 più colpi di scena, 🕵️‍♀️ più intrighi.
💘 La storia romantica tra Lyra e Alaric raggiunge un punto cruciale:
🏛️ Lui, gladiatore libero, è a una sola stagione dalla fine delle prove al Colosseo e dal lasciare Ironhold;
🗡️ Lei, gladiatrice prigioniera, ne ha ancora due da affrontare prima di conquistare la libertà.
💔 Per questo, Alaric decide di prendere le distanze, concentrandosi completamente sui combattimenti.

🌀 Nel frattempo, Rowan — squalificato nella stagione precedente — si ritrova a tre stagioni dalla libertà, in una posizione più svantaggiata rispetto a Lyra.
🌫️ Tutto sembra procedere normalmente a Ironhold…
🚪 fino all’arrivo di un nullomago: un individuo privo di poteri e magia.
🤫 O almeno, questo è ciò che vuole far credere.

📚 Come ho già scritto nelle recensioni precedenti: non affezionatevi troppo a nessun personaggio.
🪓 Morgan Rice — che ho affettuosamente soprannominato “la falciatrice” — non perdona.
⚠️ Tutto può succedere.

✨ Punti di forza:
- 🌍 Il worldbuilding è solido e affascinante.
- 🧙‍♂️ Il sistema magico è ben costruito.
- 🎭 I personaggi sono vividi e coinvolgenti.
- 🪄 L’autrice ha una straordinaria capacità di introdurre elementi nuovi a ogni volume.

😕 Punti deboli:
- 📉 La traduzione lascia a desiderare. Ci si abitua, certo, ma è giusto segnalarlo.

📦 Ora non mi resta che aspettare l’arrivo dei prossimi volumi in Italia…
🇪🇸 o almeno in Spagna!

[L · Rating 1 out of 5]

Editing issues are atrocious

If you are going to charge extra money for a kindle book, it should be well written and well edited. Unfortunately, almost every paragraph has editing issues. Example from one paragraph: ...knivescut s/b knives cut, steeply s/b deeply, winceto s/b wince to, knowthat s/b know that, interferedeven s/b interfered even. Ridiculous! As far as the plot, it is a good premise about a female beast master, but not enough fleshing out of character or story line to make it overcome editing issues.

[J Young · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great storyline, but…

Another season filled with magic, betrayal, conspiracies, and mind-boggling action! I love this series! With that in mind, another round of editing would have produced a more finished product. Many sentences have improper spacing between words which should have been caught by running spellcheck; so prevalent that it detracted from the flow of the storyline. This book does not have the polished quality that I have come to expect from Morgan Rice. I received a free copy but my review is honest and voluntary.

[Michelle McPherson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Iron hold - Trial Four

I love this storyline and will be sad when it ends. That said, the books need editing. I would have given 5* for this book, but the editing ass soooo bad that in places it ass very difficult to read having many words scrunched together, wrong words in places that don't fit, and sometimes incorrect pronouns soooo that the read is left wondering who is being talked about.

[Jen Beyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ Lyra is back in the thick of it with this being her fourth season in the Colosseum, but with a new enemy. He is determined to kill her for what she. Her love triangle in this book continues to grow and the damper on her wrist is making impossible to communicate with the beast since someone tampered with it.

I believe this book was a nice fast paced read but could have definitely been combined with the previous one since it is a twelve book series

[Lynnea S · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nothing but typos

Seriously, woman, just turn on spell check or use grammarly. Have a friend proofread it for heavens sake! Get a legitimate editor and publisher. There are so many typos that it's not even fun to read. Neither is the fact these books are ridiculously short but expensive. Half the book is a recap of the one before, so the real new stuff only half the book. Which is only slightly bigger than a Dr. Seuss.

[Paul Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read, spoilt by typos.

A great story and I couldn’t stop reading. There were some quality issues with this book. A lot of words running together and some typos. I appreciate getting the story very fast, but I would prefer to wait for a quality check - which I would volunteer to do. Not a criticism Morgan, your imagination and story telling are superb.

[Stitch · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the series, but the editing of this book is atrocious. So much so that it detracted from my enjoyment of the book. Am I going to buy the 5th book? No. The books in the series seem to be getting shorter. I love reading, but spending good money on a book so badly edited has been very disappointing.

[Papa Bob · Rating 3 out of 5]

lousy editing

There are so many run on words, especially in the last half of the book, that it was difficult to read. I felt like I needed a translator! Pathetic editing.
Not as well written as some of Rice's other works.
He should fire his editors and proof readers! No one should be exposed to such shoddy work.

[Monique Ferrier · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s a book with slow motion, lots of introspection, and thankfully replete with unexpected action.
I regretted not to have selected audiobooks over Kindle books: the typing errors accounted in the hundreds are spoiling all the reading experience.

[Becca Mairs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trial Four sees more twists and turns in Lyra’s journey to become a free woman. The story is fast paced, action packed, and entertaining.

This really is an enjoyable series, and I look forward to more

[Rowan Creech · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was another gripping and intriguing book in this series. There was never a dull moment as it is action-packed. A supremely good book to read.