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Forged for Prophecy
In this thrilling sequel to the magical and mystifying Forged for Destiny, Raul has a embrace his fake destiny as the savior king or send his people on a path to certain doom.
Cursed with the knowledge that his destiny as the hero of Estis is a lie, Raul still tries his best to lead a small rebellion. But after several defeats in battle, low morale, and people leaving left and right, he’s almost ready to give up his claim to throne and let what’s left of his rebellion fend for themselves.
Just when he’s about to reveal the lie that began everything, Raul’s mother returns to the rebel camp with stories of an ancient dagger that could return hope to their cause. And the prophecies show that if they manage to find it, the tides of war would turn in their favor. It’s too good of a chance to pass up, and Raul leaves with only Valens, Prisca, and Yasmi in tow to search the mountains for the dagger that could save them.
After all, prophecies are never wrong…
Cursed with the knowledge that his destiny as the hero of Estis is a lie, Raul still tries his best to lead a small rebellion. But after several defeats in battle, low morale, and people leaving left and right, he’s almost ready to give up his claim to throne and let what’s left of his rebellion fend for themselves.
Just when he’s about to reveal the lie that began everything, Raul’s mother returns to the rebel camp with stories of an ancient dagger that could return hope to their cause. And the prophecies show that if they manage to find it, the tides of war would turn in their favor. It’s too good of a chance to pass up, and Raul leaves with only Valens, Prisca, and Yasmi in tow to search the mountains for the dagger that could save them.
After all, prophecies are never wrong…
- GenresFantasy
450 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 12, 2025
965 people want to read
About the author
Andrew Knighton
117 books41 followersAndrew Knighton is a British author, comics scribe, and freelance writer. His works include steampunk adventure story The Epiphany Club and alternate history thriller The Bear’s Claws. He lives in Yorkshire with a savage black cat and a huge heap of unread books.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 22, 2025
This one should’ve been an epic fantasy with dark twists and unforgettable prophecy... but sadly, it missed the mark for me.
The concept? Brilliant. The execution? Not as engaging. I found myself losing interest a few chapters in, and the storytelling style didn’t hold the weight of the plot's potential.
Still, the idea was creative, and with stronger pacing and more immersive tension, it could’ve been something amazing. Hoping the author sharpens the delivery in future works.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. This review is entirely my own opinion.
The concept? Brilliant. The execution? Not as engaging. I found myself losing interest a few chapters in, and the storytelling style didn’t hold the weight of the plot's potential.
Still, the idea was creative, and with stronger pacing and more immersive tension, it could’ve been something amazing. Hoping the author sharpens the delivery in future works.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. This review is entirely my own opinion.
December 11, 2025
***Thank you to Orbit Books for providing an advanced copy of the book via NetGalley. My review contains my honest thoughts about my reading experience.***
I was so ready to love Forged for Prophecy, especially upon reading the first few chapters. Raul was struggling to lead the nascent rebellion as it tried to coalesce into something formidable despite some demoralizing defeats. I was ready to tuck into an interesting story about him learning to inspire his people while also dealing with the messy politics and logistics of keeping the rebellion alive. Then the rug got pulled out from under me, and the story went in a completely different direction that was far less compelling.
Don’t get me wrong. Quest stories are often fun, and I don’t necessarily hate them. Forged for Prophecy actually did a solid job with it, too. The new lands explored were interesting, and the pace was steady enough to keep me engaged. The change just felt really abrupt. One second the rebellion is starting to disintegrate around them, and the next second most of the leaders just up and run off after some obscure magical item. I honestly don’t think anything beyond the core of their movement would have survived that abdication of leadership. Then Raul inspiring people outside of his land while on the journey felt like the laziest possible way to resolve the numbers problem of the rebellion.
Despite not loving the plot of Forged for Prophecy, I did still really like the characters. Each of them had compelling arcs across this journey. Valens was probably my favorite again. He struggled to regain a sense of purpose after his defeat in the first book, and I really felt his struggle to adjust come through in the writing. Yasmi also had a fascinating story, though. She began to lose, or find, herself in the masks she put on and had to figure out how to accept and harness the power of those new parts of herself without being overcome by them. All in all, I enjoyed spending time with the people in this story even when I’m not necessarily loving the story itself. lol.
As for the ending of Forged for Prophecy, it was a bit underwhelming.
Overall, I didn’t love Forged for Prophecy. The plot went in directions that felt uninspired and lazy. What could have been an interesting character study on the complexities of being a leader while building a struggling rebellion turned into a run of the mill quest story. I am still very attached to these characters, though. Enough so that I’ll be reading the next book. Therefore, I rate this book 3.25 out of 5 stars.
I was so ready to love Forged for Prophecy, especially upon reading the first few chapters. Raul was struggling to lead the nascent rebellion as it tried to coalesce into something formidable despite some demoralizing defeats. I was ready to tuck into an interesting story about him learning to inspire his people while also dealing with the messy politics and logistics of keeping the rebellion alive. Then the rug got pulled out from under me, and the story went in a completely different direction that was far less compelling.
Don’t get me wrong. Quest stories are often fun, and I don’t necessarily hate them. Forged for Prophecy actually did a solid job with it, too. The new lands explored were interesting, and the pace was steady enough to keep me engaged. The change just felt really abrupt. One second the rebellion is starting to disintegrate around them, and the next second most of the leaders just up and run off after some obscure magical item. I honestly don’t think anything beyond the core of their movement would have survived that abdication of leadership. Then Raul inspiring people outside of his land while on the journey felt like the laziest possible way to resolve the numbers problem of the rebellion.
Despite not loving the plot of Forged for Prophecy, I did still really like the characters. Each of them had compelling arcs across this journey. Valens was probably my favorite again. He struggled to regain a sense of purpose after his defeat in the first book, and I really felt his struggle to adjust come through in the writing. Yasmi also had a fascinating story, though. She began to lose, or find, herself in the masks she put on and had to figure out how to accept and harness the power of those new parts of herself without being overcome by them. All in all, I enjoyed spending time with the people in this story even when I’m not necessarily loving the story itself. lol.
As for the ending of Forged for Prophecy, it was a bit underwhelming.
Overall, I didn’t love Forged for Prophecy. The plot went in directions that felt uninspired and lazy. What could have been an interesting character study on the complexities of being a leader while building a struggling rebellion turned into a run of the mill quest story. I am still very attached to these characters, though. Enough so that I’ll be reading the next book. Therefore, I rate this book 3.25 out of 5 stars.
August 7, 2025
Thank you to Andrew Knighton, Orbit, and NetGalley for giving me an eARC of Forged for Prophecy in exchange for my honest review.
Forged for Prophecy is the second book in Knighton's Forged for Prophecy series. While this book does not pick up right where the last one ended, there is not a massive time jump between the two books. In general, this book centers around a quest to find a dagger that might turn the tide of the rebellion. If I am being honest, I cannot decide how I feel about this book. The writing and the setting were well done; however, I struggled to grasp the point of this book. I do not want to spoil anything, but it did feel like this book did not do much to forward the plot, though it did help to further develop Raul's character. I did find myself at times getting frustrated with all the references that what the characters were doing was another form of an elaborate performance. I feel as though it was halting their development because they were not allowing themselves to truly get invested in what was going on or the part that they had in the rebellion. At the start of the book, Raul feels like a fraud and like he is just acting, and as such, he is not successful. I am curious to know if we will see this come to a head in the next book and if the characters will be able to acknowledge that it is, in fact, not a show or a performance.
Like the first book, this was not one that I could read all in one sitting, like I normally do with books. Rather, I read a few chapters a day, and that seemed to work well for me because I was able to find some enjoyment in what I was reading, while also not finding myself frustrated with some of the things that were going on that I mentioned above. I will say, if you liked the first book, give this one a chance because I think this is more about my reading preferences than a reflection on the. book itself. I am still invested in continuing the series as it comes out, even if I have given both books 3 stars. I have realized that reading this series in small chunks works best for me, as it is a slower book, and that is okay.
Forged for Prophecy is the second book in Knighton's Forged for Prophecy series. While this book does not pick up right where the last one ended, there is not a massive time jump between the two books. In general, this book centers around a quest to find a dagger that might turn the tide of the rebellion. If I am being honest, I cannot decide how I feel about this book. The writing and the setting were well done; however, I struggled to grasp the point of this book. I do not want to spoil anything, but it did feel like this book did not do much to forward the plot, though it did help to further develop Raul's character. I did find myself at times getting frustrated with all the references that what the characters were doing was another form of an elaborate performance. I feel as though it was halting their development because they were not allowing themselves to truly get invested in what was going on or the part that they had in the rebellion. At the start of the book, Raul feels like a fraud and like he is just acting, and as such, he is not successful. I am curious to know if we will see this come to a head in the next book and if the characters will be able to acknowledge that it is, in fact, not a show or a performance.
Like the first book, this was not one that I could read all in one sitting, like I normally do with books. Rather, I read a few chapters a day, and that seemed to work well for me because I was able to find some enjoyment in what I was reading, while also not finding myself frustrated with some of the things that were going on that I mentioned above. I will say, if you liked the first book, give this one a chance because I think this is more about my reading preferences than a reflection on the. book itself. I am still invested in continuing the series as it comes out, even if I have given both books 3 stars. I have realized that reading this series in small chunks works best for me, as it is a slower book, and that is okay.
July 12, 2025
Thanks to Netgalley and the Orbit team for providing an EARC of this book for review!
Well, I went to this book excited - it seemed like a great premise. That premise (not a spoiler, as it is the pitch for the series) is that the "chosen one" is a lie. A fake. A couple has manipulated a boy they adopted into meeting all the signs of prophecy, yet he is not the chosen one.
However, I consistently felt this book failed to meet that expectation. There's a lot of internal conflict from the characters who know about Raul (who is the main character pretending to be the chosen one), but it didn't affect the plot in the way that I had hoped. He basically just acts like the chosen one in every other story. I know comparing books can be challenging, but I felt that Gene Wolfe handled this much better in Book of the Long Sun, where it is only one part of a much larger series (and of course, has a Wolfian twist to go along with it).
I felt in part that this book was a bit too small in scope. While keeping the scope small can work for certain types of stories, this book is supposed to be epic fantasy, yet we are limited to one geographic area with a very small rebellion. The bad guy is a bit more interesting, and honestly my favorite part of this book. Knighton does something with him at the end that I thought was really great.
Negative as I am about this book, that is more because it disappointed me rather than there is any gaping plot hole or other issues with this book. It is very competent- it gives characters arcs, executes a few good twists, has some decent action and romance, and is generally well edited with no obvious typos or misspellings. Just not for me.
Well, I went to this book excited - it seemed like a great premise. That premise (not a spoiler, as it is the pitch for the series) is that the "chosen one" is a lie. A fake. A couple has manipulated a boy they adopted into meeting all the signs of prophecy, yet he is not the chosen one.
However, I consistently felt this book failed to meet that expectation. There's a lot of internal conflict from the characters who know about Raul (who is the main character pretending to be the chosen one), but it didn't affect the plot in the way that I had hoped. He basically just acts like the chosen one in every other story. I know comparing books can be challenging, but I felt that Gene Wolfe handled this much better in Book of the Long Sun, where it is only one part of a much larger series (and of course, has a Wolfian twist to go along with it).
I felt in part that this book was a bit too small in scope. While keeping the scope small can work for certain types of stories, this book is supposed to be epic fantasy, yet we are limited to one geographic area with a very small rebellion. The bad guy is a bit more interesting, and honestly my favorite part of this book. Knighton does something with him at the end that I thought was really great.
Negative as I am about this book, that is more because it disappointed me rather than there is any gaping plot hole or other issues with this book. It is very competent- it gives characters arcs, executes a few good twists, has some decent action and romance, and is generally well edited with no obvious typos or misspellings. Just not for me.
July 14, 2025
I've recently read Forged For Destiny and enjoyed the concept of the "fake chosen-one" that's really an imposter. It reminded me of the Truman Show of sorts, where the main character believed the lie himself. Forged For Destiny in many ways managed to make me (as the reader) not only consider how beliefs are formed, but also how people themselves act when they believe the stories they are told. It was a form of a self fulfilling prophecy.
The story continued to unfold in Forged For Prophecy, where the main character was fully aware of the lie. Yet he continued on with it and becoming complicit in misleading the people he supposedly cares for. It made me dislike the main character in ways, as you cannot be that righteous and believe yourself to know that YOU are the people's savior.. whilst being a villain simultaneously. I enjoyed the ambivalence of it all and it reminded me of certain religious movements and the justifications followers have used to commit harm against others.
The story itself was decent, but it is missing a certain magic for me. Something that would make me want to root for one side.. there were too many grey areas left unexplored.
In the next installment ( which I will read), I hope for there to be more clarity and a deeper exploration of the "world".
Thank you to Andrew Knighton for giving us a new "chosen-one" to follow on his quest. Thank you to Orbit Books and Netgalley for allowing me to ponder this concept (deep into the night).
The story continued to unfold in Forged For Prophecy, where the main character was fully aware of the lie. Yet he continued on with it and becoming complicit in misleading the people he supposedly cares for. It made me dislike the main character in ways, as you cannot be that righteous and believe yourself to know that YOU are the people's savior.. whilst being a villain simultaneously. I enjoyed the ambivalence of it all and it reminded me of certain religious movements and the justifications followers have used to commit harm against others.
The story itself was decent, but it is missing a certain magic for me. Something that would make me want to root for one side.. there were too many grey areas left unexplored.
In the next installment ( which I will read), I hope for there to be more clarity and a deeper exploration of the "world".
Thank you to Andrew Knighton for giving us a new "chosen-one" to follow on his quest. Thank you to Orbit Books and Netgalley for allowing me to ponder this concept (deep into the night).
August 13, 2025
Thanks Hachette Audio for the copy of "Forged for Prophecy" by Andrew Knighton, out now. Life got a little busy the last few days driving back and forth across the state.
Knowing you are a fraud and exploiting it for the betterment of the people can't be the worst thing right? Raul knows his "destiny" was a shame to try and liberate Estis but is still going to make a go at it. It's not going great. Moral and supplies are low after a bad season of raids, and who comes to town but his mom with another crazy scheme. This time it is a magic dagger that gives the welder power over the land, and the signs show they will succeed in this quest! When have those ever led anyone astray?
Narrated by Stewart Crank, having a lot of arguments with yourself in this one.
Reasons to read:
-Folks generally give up after the lie is revealed but they are still trucking away at it
-Fleshing out some of the history a bit more
-Can anyone in this country tell the truth up front?
-Just an earnest guy trying to do good with not a lot of options
Cons:
-Well that's going to bite them in the ass
Knowing you are a fraud and exploiting it for the betterment of the people can't be the worst thing right? Raul knows his "destiny" was a shame to try and liberate Estis but is still going to make a go at it. It's not going great. Moral and supplies are low after a bad season of raids, and who comes to town but his mom with another crazy scheme. This time it is a magic dagger that gives the welder power over the land, and the signs show they will succeed in this quest! When have those ever led anyone astray?
Narrated by Stewart Crank, having a lot of arguments with yourself in this one.
Reasons to read:
-Folks generally give up after the lie is revealed but they are still trucking away at it
-Fleshing out some of the history a bit more
-Can anyone in this country tell the truth up front?
-Just an earnest guy trying to do good with not a lot of options
Cons:
-Well that's going to bite them in the ass
August 3, 2025
Forged for Prophecy builds on Raul’s inner struggle with a compelling premise: what happens when a hero knows his destiny is a lie? Once again, Raul’s character is the backbone of the story, and his exhaustion, doubt, and reluctant hope feel raw and real. The addition of the ancient dagger quest injects some momentum into the plot, but much like Forged for Destiny, the pacing wavers, and some of the tension falls flat. Side characters like Valens and Yasmi show potential but don’t get quite enough space to shine. The world continues to intrigue, and there are flickers of emotional depth, but overall, the story still leans too heavily on prophecy tropes without fully subverting them. Worth reading for Raul, but the promise of the prophecy isn't fully realized.
August 19, 2025
Forged for Prophecy by Andrew Knighton flips the chosen one trope on its head. Raul knows his destiny is a lie, yet still must lead. Introspective, morally tangled, and quietly epic. Perfect for fans of character-driven fantasy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 14, 2025
The rebellion against the Dunholmi rages on to liberate Estis. Raul, still struggling to accept the truth of who he is, and who he isn’t, has begun to understand what it means to be a hero. Now he must learn how to be leader too, though convincing others he’s either one isn’t easy when he barely believes it himself. Meanwhile, Yasmi wrestles with her inner beast, Valens reels from defeat and drink, and Prisca returns with her heartless schemes. Their last hope may lie in a perilous journey through the Withered Hills in search of old magic.
This sequel expands the series’ intrigue with depth and momentum, continuing its exploration of hope, heroism, and the cost of leadership in a richly imagined world. The story breathes fresh life into classic fantasy tropes, blending the familiar with inventive twists. The dynamic characters remain a standout, with growth that unfolds naturally amid the chaos of war and destiny. Most striking is how each one faces deep personal struggles concerning identity, sanity, and a sense of worth. Perfect for fans of Margaret Weis.
(This review was originally written for Library Journal magazine.)
This sequel expands the series’ intrigue with depth and momentum, continuing its exploration of hope, heroism, and the cost of leadership in a richly imagined world. The story breathes fresh life into classic fantasy tropes, blending the familiar with inventive twists. The dynamic characters remain a standout, with growth that unfolds naturally amid the chaos of war and destiny. Most striking is how each one faces deep personal struggles concerning identity, sanity, and a sense of worth. Perfect for fans of Margaret Weis.
(This review was originally written for Library Journal magazine.)
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