Upon the Forge of Battle

Age of Wrath #3

by Anthony Ryan

The Age of Wrath comes to a thrilling close in this masterful conclusion from international bestselling author Anthony Ryan.

Genres: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy

512 pages, Paperback

Expected publication August 25, 2026

About the author

Anthony Ryan was born in Scotland in 1970 but spent much of his adult life living and working in London. After a long career in the British Civil Service he took up writing full time after the success of his first novel Blood Song, Book One of the Raven’s Shadow trilogy. He has a degree in history, and his interests include art, science and the unending quest for the perfect pint of real ale.

For news and general wittering about stuff he likes, check out Anthony's blog at: http://anthonystuff.wordpress.com

Reviews

[LambchoP]

I cannot wait to dive into this and see how Anthony Ryan wraps up the trilogy. I loved what he did with the ending of Covenant of Steel and I believe this series has the potential to be even better than that really great trilogy.

Ryan is one of the most consistent fantasy authors out there. Can't wait to read the finale of the Age of Wrath trilogy and to see what he will write next. Whatever it is, I'll be buying and reading it on day one!

[Lila]

Synopsis: "It's time for the final battle with Nihlvarians!"

Me: "So... hopefully, we are getting a messy family reunion in this one?"

[Lanie Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

becomes more determined than ever to finish his conquest and head to his brother. However, after speaking with one more of the long-lived humans he discovers that the only way to Gunthyr is through The Swathe a stretch of land that is rumored to kill everyone who steps a foot on its soil. But nothing will stop him from reaching his brothers side, so he sets off with his menda knowing that he may not make it out alive.

With Ruhlin captured Gunthyr now leads the army of Morvek and freed slaves. Without any way to know that they have been betrayed he continues to wait at the mine for Ruhlin to return, when he finally discovers that they have been betrayed Gunthyr knows that he will do anything to save not just his friend but a man who has become like a brother to him. To that end with the help of Deyna of all people they seek out a band of outlaws who may be willing to add to the ranks of the rag tag army they have assembled. Rapidly agreeing just as this new army of outlaws, Morvek, and freed slaves are preparing to strike out for the capital word comes that somehow The Vortigun army has found them again. Gunthyr knows he must push his menda as quickly as he can if he is going to get ahead of what seems like The Vortigun's all seeing eye, not knowing that the treachery that saw Ruhlin captured is only the tip of the iceberg.

Elvine has realized that Sister Lore seeks something, she has absolutely no idea what but both her and the spear believe that whatever it is she must not find it. To that end she obsessively scans all documents Lore has left behind, enlisting her brother and even her guards to do so. When she finally discovers what it is Elvine knows that if Sister Lore finds it first everything they have done will have been for nothing. Informing Thera that she must stop Lore at all costs, Thera provides her with two of the fastest ships in the menda and Elvine sets off to the frozen North. With no clue what she will find and her brother becoming increasingly worried that the Spear has ulterior motives Elvine finds that she is continuously having to prove that whatever Lore is looking for could destroy not just the peoples of Ascarlia but the entire world.

Thera now the Queen of all of Ascarla, has set her course, assembling the largest fleet the world may have ever seen she sails to the Fire Islands where she will risk everything in order to destroy The Vortigun.

Ruhlin, now a prisoner of The Vortigun, is being forced to compete in battles to the death in order to entertain the Vorath. Initially he was determined to not participate at all, unwilling to kill the innocent, however, after meeting Ohtera, a young woman with a monster of her own, he changes his mind. With her help he opens a line of communication with his monster and finds that together they may just be able to finally kill the Exiled King.

OMFG THIS WAS A ROLLER COASTER!! Yes, it totally deserves bold, italic letters okay. Seriously, up until the very end I was genuinely like "Okay well that's it they all die, there's just no way, things are too far progressed, Elvine will never be able to get to everyone in time!" Anxiety folks, this book is anxiety inducing!!

First of all, I owe Felnir a giant apology. All of the freaking series I absolutely hated this guy. He's just kind of a jerk and even as we go through this book while his determination to get to Gunthyr is kind of heartwarming, he also basically knowingly sentences people to death in his almost obsessive need to get to him. Which is probably not his fault. We find out that Felnir is basically following some chosen one style destiny (to be fair all of three of the siblings appear to be). However, even though he does play the overall role that was set forth by him, he doesn't quite do it the way that he is supposed too. When we discover this it's really difficult to not give the man some grace. Especially when we find out that by the simple act of being him, he ends up saving a rather large chunk of his menda from a curse. Either that or the curse sucked but I'm chosing to believe the former, given what happens at the end of the book. So I apologize for all of the awful things I said about Felnir, he does wholly redeem himself.

Elvine, omfg Elvine, look she goes borderline crazy with this "Must hunt down Sister Lore" at all costs stuff. I mean she was right but even Colvyn is like "Yo, you're acting like dad, knock it off." I mean we really have no idea what is actually trapped in the damn spear so while she's getting guidance from it that is pushing her to take some really insane risks so it's really hard not to see Alwyn's poor life decisions in her decisions. I should have never lost faith though, without Elvine's side quest, literally everyone would be dead.

Thera's still a bad ass, as well as Gunthyr, and while Ruhlin can't really do much being locked up he's the hero of the day.

There are some spoilers here so click at your own risk.
What I really loved about this is, of course, the fact that The Vortigun at the end of the day is taken down for one of my very favorite reasons; He thought he was the smartest guy in the room. But this one is a little bit different, because you do have to admit that he has manipulated things in Arscalia and the surrounding area for centuries, so he is at the very least, smarter than the next guy. However, he's simply a narcissist and because of that while he's bragging to anyone that will listen that everything that is happening is by his design, he can't see how badly he screwed himself by doing this. He is simply lacking the emotional intelligence to see that the only thing his machinations has done is forged a bond between a group of people that is unbreakable. I said at the beginning of this that there was a very real fear that the good guys may actually lose, and that is true. However, as the siblings armies descend upon the Capital, you just know that everything will work out. Our heroes cannot fail, simply because the bad guy couldn't see them. He couldn't see that Ruhlin forged bonds with the others held captive with him. He couldn't see that Elvine and in turn even Sister Lore was actually a threat to him dismissing them both outright. He couldn't see that Gunthyr was dedicated to his mission of freeing the slaves, not slaughtering them. He couldn't see Felnir virtually at all, because it never even crossed his mind that the sword bearer would appear, and even if he had he would have never seen that above all else, Felnir was dedicated to his brother. He couldn't see that in the end the siblings no matter their squabbles would be easily set aside for the greater good. But most importantly, it was simply impossible for him to fathom the sacrifice any of these characters were willing to make in order to save not just each other but the world. So yeah he fails because he thinks he the smartest guy in the world but he mostly fails because he didn't understand what it meant to be human. To care about others, to trust others without reservations, and that the human capacity to put others above themselves is endless. Basically, he got defeated by the power of friendship. Oh yes I said that and at least one character says that at the end of the day it was all worth it for the friends they made along the way. So anyone wants to argue with an MLP reference I am literally taking that straight from the book.

Now, I'm going to say something really weird here; I hope you didn't click on that. Save it until you actually read it. I think there will be parts of this that people will see as plot holes (the fact that The Vortigun seems to not even know that Felnir exists for example) however, I believe that is explained in what is under that link. If you do click on it luckily, it's not very spoiler heavy.

Finally, I have to say that I am genuinely going to miss this world. We are six books in now and this final book has reminded me of just how vast this world truly is and how much I have grown to enjoy being in it. In this book we are still discovering new lands that no one had ever set foot on, at least no one who lived long enough to talk about it. The Caerith have played a significant role in so much of these characters lives for two whole series and yet we still know very little about them. I know that kind of sounds like a complaint, but it's not. If anything, I find it to be a reminder that we live in a truly vast world and yet thanks to chance meetings our decisions can and do create ripples that can span an entire globe. Or maybe it's not chance, it's hard to chalk everything that has happened in the world since the first book in Covenant of Steel as simply chance, and yet to an extent it very much feels like that. I don't believe that anyone knew who the sword bearer would be, however, Alwyn being Elvine's dad seems pre-determined. Kind of a bit like real life to be honest, there is much we want to believe that is simply our fate and yet the idea of chance encounters that are life changing is something that is very much apart of our existence. So whether or not you view this story as fate or chance I think very much rests on who you are.

If you haven't read this series yet, starting with Covenant of Steel I truly can't recommend either enough, and while yes you can read the Age of Wrath stand-alone I simply don't feel that you would get the full effect without reading Covenant of Steel first.

Also, just as an aside on of my favorite characters from Covenant of Steel makes an appearance in here and while it is for a very brief period it was very nice to see them!

As always thanks to NetGalley and Orbit for the eArc!

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley for an eARC of this book. I am going to preface this by saying Covenant of Steel is my favorite series (I just reread it before reading this book) and Alwyn is one of my favorite characters in the fantasy world.

With that being said, I was disappointed to have no Alwyn in this series, but you could already tell that by the first two books. I was also disappointed with Colvyn. At the end of “Traitor” Alwyn makes a reference that we would learn his child’s name and made it seem like he would be someone important. But in this series he is a side kick guard dog to Elvine. I was just disappointed he became more and more useless throughout this series. When he was first introduced in the first book, I was so excited, but nothing happened with him.

My other problem is a more of a personal issue. But I am not a fan of multiple POVs. Mainly because I have little time to read, I mainly get about ½ hour at night. So having multiple POVs really takes me out of the story since by the time I get to the POV I ended on, I forgot what even was happening to that person. This book has 5 POVs (Elvine, Thera, Felnir, Gunthyr and Ruhlin). And when each POV ended it was when something was finally revealed or happening and unfortunately for me, I would not know what it was until a few days later (again this is a personal problem that probably most will not have an issue with). This is why I loved Blood Song and Covenant of Steel series so much was because of the single POV.

I just honestly did not enjoy this book that much mainly due to the POVs, I also never really liked the characters. Evline was too stuck up and only became worse (using her “Spear Maiden voice”). Thera, I was indifferent too but did not care about her story. I never liked Felnir and did not care about his journey either. The main character and story I liked was Gunthyr and Ruhlin. I would have been happy to have the book only about Ruhlin. He felt the most important and had the more interesting narrative.

Also having loved Covenant of Steel so much, this world feels so much different. The magic and abilities seem to be everywhere, whereas it is rare/non-existent in Albermaine. This contrast was never really explained.

The ending felt very rushed with explaining the Vortigun’s goal. I think this was because it took 80% of the book for everyone to travel where they needed to be. I don’t mind the traveling narrative but it gets a little burdensome when you are reading about traveling in 4 point of views (only Ruhlin stayed interesting). The author does end this series well, as in he does tie up a lot of things (there are a few issues that weren't tied up though)

I do think I would have enjoyed this more if I could have read it in only a few sittings, but unfortunately I could not and even so, I was not interested in 3 out of the 5 POVs. I do still think this is a well written story and I am glad to have read it. I would still purchase the physical copy to have for my library, but would I reread this anytime soon? Probably not.. But I sure will be reading Covenant of Steel again!

[Drew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whatever the secret ingredients are for creating a series like this, I would like to know.

I read the Covenant of Steel series several years ago, with the first two books already out, and the third incoming several months later. Then comes this series. Initially during the first book (A Tide of Black Steel) I did not yet find it special, just there to read. But halfway through the book, something clicked, and I read the remainder of the book within a day. I declared it the best new book of 2024. One year later, I excitedly read the second. And now, for the third...

"Upon the Forge of Battle" is pure excitement, from start to finish, with five perfectly balanced character storylines. Yes, five now, because in Chapter 1, we are introduced to Guthnyr as our newest POV, joining the remaining four (Elvine, Ruhlin, Felnir, and Thera) throughout the story. The five character journeys start out separate, but all roads lead to Nihlvar and the Morvek lands. The author Anthony Ryan is one of the best at writing warbands or armies moving from Point A to Point B, with conflicts and adversity bombarding them in all directions. We readers also witness exciting battles and one-on-one fight scenes, with all five characters having their distinct fighting styles (further credit to the author!).

I think one of the best parts is the characterizations themselves, along with the vast side character cast that truly make you feel for them, rooting for many of them to make it out okay. This was one of the strengths of John Gwynne's writings, something that I craved like catnip from all ten of his novels. This series executes this very well here too, with the close bonds between each of our heroes with their supportive allies, on full show here.

Finally, the ending and epilogue worked itself out very well. I did wonder in the back of my mind how this was going to end after I finished the second book. The author's maneuvering of characters paid off in the finale. Yet, similar to "The Covenant of Steele", the ending also opens the possibility for more spinoffs. I sure would love to see more of this interesting world...and that beyond.

If anyone wants to know if Mr. Alwyn Scrybe makes his appearance in this series, the answer is RAFO, I'm not telling you

I give this book a 5/5 rating.

(I received an ARC through Orbit and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review)

[Booksblabbering || Cait❣️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.
3.5 stars.🌟

Physical arc gifted by Orbit.

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[Josh Imber · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for providing me with an ARC copy of this book!

Upon the Forge of Battle brings about the war conflict on the horizon at the end of Born in an Iron Storm. A fast paced ending to the Age of Wrath series that delivers on most of the promises given throughout books one and two but does so in a way that makes the third act feel a bit rushed.

Pro’s:
One of the reasons I enjoyed book 3 as much as the others in this series is due to the consistent character work done in all three books as I mentioned in my review of Born in an Iron Storm - unlike most multi-character pov stories each character is equally as compelling while also advancing the story in a satisfying way. Often I find 1 or 2 characters in a multi-POV story that I either really dislike because of their actions or I feel like they were added as an afterthought to create a bridging narrative across the characters or the world. This is not an issue with The Age of Wrath - by the end of this book each characters story arc ended in a way that at the very least made sense to the characters journey.

Cons:
This book introduced quite a bit of new magical elements without a lot of time to flesh them out or ruminate on the impacts on world built.

The third act felt rushed and specifically the last 100 pages lacked the emotional depth and time to ruminate on a characters actions or fate that I came to expect from this series.

[Annabelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before I even start raving about the excellent conclusion of an exceptional epic series, I want to applaud the inclusion of "What has gone before" section which is great for anyone who read the prior books some time ago, like me and wasn't up for a reread before rushing for the third book of the trilogy. That said, I enjoyed this whole series so much that I may just be binging the entirety sometime in the near future. The last book in the trilogy takes it up a notch, adding another POV character, more drama, conflict, and action, and ending the saga in a way fitting to all the events that came before. Anyone who enjoyed the first two books of Age of Wrath should be quite pleased with this part of the story all the way through the epilogue. Anyone who loves epic high fantasy but waited to start this series until it was complete, your time has come. This was the perfect balance of incredible characters, world, and action and I can't recommend it enough to fans of the genre.
I received access to this eARC thru NetGalley (for which I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher, Orbit Books) for an honest review. The opinion expressed here is my own.

[Deon Schalkwyk · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really good end to the triology in some ways but also in some ways not such a good end and felt like a little bit of a filler.

Now don't get me wrong I really enjoyed the book and it definitely wrapped up a lot of lose threads from the previous two books however it almost seemed a little bit of a stepping stone to the next three books and the way the ending ended definitely seemed like there is scope for me and given the way Anthony writes this would not suprise me at all! However that's just my personal opinion and of course I may be totally wrong!

As I said above the pacing was good with a few shocks and surprises along the way. Some scenes I felt were great and some just a bit meh.

So for me this felt like middle boon syndrome but it was the final book which was a little odd but still I'd give it 4 stars and wait to see what's next and if I'm right

[Bo Oliver-Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this finale to this series. I remember i picked up book 1 because it sounded interesting and assumed it would be just a casual fun read for me. But I was hooked from the start. Im sad to see this series end but I LOVED the conclusion. Can't wait for more from Anthony Ryan!

*spoilers below*



I loved seeing mention of characters from Covenant of Steel and I found it interesting that Felnirs sword had the same influence that Evadines speeches had to encourage the troops to persevere through hard marches. Loved that.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley for this arc.

Where to begin? The conclusion of a good series, interwoven with characters/locations from a previous series, drawing on a great world built meticulously. A whole host of characters and story arcs coming together to a conclusion......that felt a little flat and under played. I still liked the erases and the story was a good read, but it just felt less than it could have been..

If you haven''t read the series it''s definitely worth the price of admission, but just the feeling it could have ended with a little more......

[MagretFume · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic conclusion to this great trilogy. 
This is epic fantasy at its finest, and only confirms Anthony Ryan's status as a master of the genre. 

The characters journeys and battles are beautifully written, and come together in a powerful ending. 

I loved it, and hope to see more of this world in the future. 

Thank you Orbit books for this ARC!

[Matthew Kilpatrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

[netgalley ARC]
Some fantasy trilogies may end in a blaze of glory, this one ends in a nuclear blast. Ryan's movement of all the pieces into place for the final battle was nothing short of masterful. I will continue to be first in line for whatever he writes next.

[Heike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great conclusion !

[Ante Baric · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anthony Ryan returns with a great conclusion to the Age of Wrath trilogy. In a conclusion such as this one, I expected to read character arcs coming to an end in a satisfying way and it is safe to say that I was not disappointed. Thera and Elvine’s perspectives were my favorite throughout the entire series, but in Upon the Forge of Battle there was the addition of Guthnyr’s perspective which I enjoyed just as much. Ryan also leaves plenty of room for this cast of characters to return. Overall, Anthony Ryan wrote some of his best character work here and I am looking forward to read more of them in potential future entries.
Additionally, Ryan does a great job at expanding upon the world building in this entry. Felnir journeys across a massive wasteland called the Swathe, which leads to strange happenings. Ruhlin’s experiences and the people he meets also do a great job at introducing us to new aspects of this fantasy world that Ryan has built. A lot of the mysteries from the Alwyn books become much clearer. I particularly enjoyed learning more about the magic system of the Gifted.
Overall, I would place Upon the Forge of Battle among Anthony Ryan’s best work from what I have read so far. I would recommend this series to anyone who read the books with Alwyn the Scribe, or to anyone who enjoys Viking fantasy. I give this one 4.75 stars out of five.