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The Forahm Papers #0.5
Shrouded Steel for Bastard Land: A Novella from The Forahm Papers
The dawn shall come anew over bastard land.
For four centuries, the descendants of the Conqueror have ruled over the Kingdom of Viriland, and their dynasty has been marked not by peace, but by warring over who next shall take the throne.
Conflict has once more taken the land, and civil war has been waged between King Celwas VI and his twin brother Malwas. The people grow tired of war, of strife, of the Bastard Kings. They wish not for another of the Conqueror's descendants, but for a new House to sit the throne.
And when war and tragedy come to the door of Lord Harryld Trewarne, loyal bannerman to Malwas, he will take up the people's call. Not for want of glory, but for peace in a Kingdom long bereft of it.
But upon this path of swords, triumph or agony may instead be decided by the hand holding shrouded steel . . .
For four centuries, the descendants of the Conqueror have ruled over the Kingdom of Viriland, and their dynasty has been marked not by peace, but by warring over who next shall take the throne.
Conflict has once more taken the land, and civil war has been waged between King Celwas VI and his twin brother Malwas. The people grow tired of war, of strife, of the Bastard Kings. They wish not for another of the Conqueror's descendants, but for a new House to sit the throne.
And when war and tragedy come to the door of Lord Harryld Trewarne, loyal bannerman to Malwas, he will take up the people's call. Not for want of glory, but for peace in a Kingdom long bereft of it.
But upon this path of swords, triumph or agony may instead be decided by the hand holding shrouded steel . . .
150 pages, Hardcover
Published October 20, 2026
About the author
Joseph John Lee
8 books96 followersJoseph John Lee is an American fantasy author who writes books that are either dark and depressing or silly and light-hearted, with not much wiggle room in between. A true product of New England, he prefers Dunkin’ over Starbucks, sometimes speaks with a Boston accent, and does not say the word “wicked” in casual conversation as much as one may think. He currently lives in Boston with his wife, Annie, along with their dog, Luna, and their robot vacuum named Crumb.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
October 16, 2026
"𝘿𝙤 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙘𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙣 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙙𝙞𝙙 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙠𝙣𝙞𝙛𝙚."
This is a big yes from me. I thoroughly enjoyed the writing style and the pacing of this novella. The characters were written really well, with a showcase of both the good and bad side of humanity, family, duty and honour, and this made it easy to invest my time into their storylines. Also, elk-riders, how freakin' cool.
Set hundreds of years before the events of The Ashen Viper i am so glad i picked this up first to get a feel for the author and this world.
The Ashen Viper will be no small feat, at 1100+ pages, and this novella really sets the tone for what is coming. It's hinting at epic and expansive.
"'𝙏𝙞𝙨 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙙 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙬𝙤𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙝𝙮 𝙣𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙙𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙖𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙝𝙞𝙢 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙨𝙩 𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙪𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙚𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙡𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙨."
I highly recommended checking out Shrouded Steel for Bastard Land and consider delving into the world of the Forahm Papers.
Thankyou Joseph John Lee for the opportunity to read an early copy. This is my honest review and all opinions are my own.
This is a big yes from me. I thoroughly enjoyed the writing style and the pacing of this novella. The characters were written really well, with a showcase of both the good and bad side of humanity, family, duty and honour, and this made it easy to invest my time into their storylines. Also, elk-riders, how freakin' cool.
Set hundreds of years before the events of The Ashen Viper i am so glad i picked this up first to get a feel for the author and this world.
The Ashen Viper will be no small feat, at 1100+ pages, and this novella really sets the tone for what is coming. It's hinting at epic and expansive.
"'𝙏𝙞𝙨 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙙 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙬𝙤𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙝𝙮 𝙣𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙙𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙖𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙝𝙞𝙢 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙨𝙩 𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙪𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙚𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙡𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙨."
I highly recommended checking out Shrouded Steel for Bastard Land and consider delving into the world of the Forahm Papers.
Thankyou Joseph John Lee for the opportunity to read an early copy. This is my honest review and all opinions are my own.
August 5, 2026
Promising starting point into Joseph Lee's world of the Forahm Papers.
This novella takes us through a particularly bloody and rebellious time in the history of the kingdom of Viriland.
The premise is that we follow two brothers, Celwas and Malwas whom after together defeating the previous royalty took divergent paths, one to darkness and one toward honour and progress. In the midst of this is the eminent Lord Harryld Trewarne, a man torn between duty to his king, and duty to those who would entreat him to stand against the king's vicious tyranny.
When events dictate to Harryld that his hand should be forced, the forces of the north march onward toward the city of Crystbreak and a result that may just set the game for Lee's new epic, the Forahm papers.
The prose had a clean and breezy style, akin to Sanderson, although at times it did seem like Lee was using more literary style terms to give the novella a more grand and epic feel which could take my attention away from the story unfolding.
All the characters were greatly enjoyable, despite the limited time afforded in a novella. Particular praise should go towards Lee's depiction of his female characters, chiefly Solana the fearsome warrior and tactician of the mysterious and frankly f****ing cool Nivevans, and Aranella who really took not giving a sh*t and standing up for her and her people to heart. Mention should also go to Lady Scarlyt, wife of Harryld and mother to young Arnyld, who in a particularly touching moment reminds Harryld of his duties as a father in a moment of emotion driven distraction.
Within, Lee tries to wrap emotion into this swift little entry, and there is certainly a lot of heart to be had, and some emotional damage to the extent that I messaged Lee himself demanding 'what did you do?!!!'. However I did struggle to connect to the characters given the relatively short time we had with each, and I didn't fully connect with the story, mostly because I felt disconnected from the world and its many situations considering we essentially start in media res in the midst of this brotherly battle.
In fact I was surprised at the relative lack of secrets divulged about the world considering its status as a prequel novella. One senses that the dots will start to connect more once they dive into Lee's upcoming 'The Ashen Viper', and in that regard I can't quite say whether it is best read before or after (although Lee recommends it either way, there are subtle but big spoilers to certain events even within the first few chapters I've started in The Ashen Viper). I think this is perhaps a read that will grow in time, once such connections become clearer.
In terms of magic we got a little insight through the character of Celwas, the bloody king who has given himself over to the darkness both internal and external. In hiring a group of fabled undead assassins to do his dirty work, Celwas tries to absolve himself of his bloody tasks, but as the novella goes on we see how the madness consumes him and what remaining heart he has left. Oh how you will hate and pity the once mighty Celwas when you see the dastardly deeds he deigns to commit. Speaking of his undead assassins, like a lot of the book, yeah it was freaking cool. The way he just sneaks into the king's chambers like a badass, and confronts him until he is suitably slapped into submission and regretful realisation, yeah I wanna see more of these guys cus he was a real mysteriously cool villain.
Oh and the Nivenans I mentioned earlier? They ride Elks into battle. Freaking elks!!! its giving major 'The Hobbit' vibes. you may not like the movies, but damn you gotta admit Lee Pace rocked being on an elk. These Nivenanas are a northern tribe who live in deeper connection to the land, and yet are viewed as savages by many in Viriland. We don't see much of it here or its use, in fact the main thread of this is Celwas being pretty much abandoned by it, but there was enough to pique my interest. It seems there is an earth consciousness-pan psychism-psychedelic vibe to this form of magic, and thats absolutely something I'd love to see more of in fantasy (psst go read Janny Wurts Wars of Light and Shadow). However, I would've liked to have seen more emphasis on the worldbuilding in this novella considering how mysterious much of it remains.
The battle was perhaps my favourite part of this novella. There isn't too much to be added here, except to say how well written it was, it kept me gripped, I didn't get lost or confused which can sometimes happen in fantasy battles. Exactly what one needs in an fantasy epic.
Overall, an speedy and enjoyable read, giving an insight into an important historical turning point within the history of Lee's series 'The Forahm Papers', it left me intrigued for what is to come in the main saga, if feeling a little like there could've been a little more done to introduce us to the world and what is to come in ensuing saga.
This novella takes us through a particularly bloody and rebellious time in the history of the kingdom of Viriland.
The premise is that we follow two brothers, Celwas and Malwas whom after together defeating the previous royalty took divergent paths, one to darkness and one toward honour and progress. In the midst of this is the eminent Lord Harryld Trewarne, a man torn between duty to his king, and duty to those who would entreat him to stand against the king's vicious tyranny.
When events dictate to Harryld that his hand should be forced, the forces of the north march onward toward the city of Crystbreak and a result that may just set the game for Lee's new epic, the Forahm papers.
The prose had a clean and breezy style, akin to Sanderson, although at times it did seem like Lee was using more literary style terms to give the novella a more grand and epic feel which could take my attention away from the story unfolding.
All the characters were greatly enjoyable, despite the limited time afforded in a novella. Particular praise should go towards Lee's depiction of his female characters, chiefly Solana the fearsome warrior and tactician of the mysterious and frankly f****ing cool Nivevans, and Aranella who really took not giving a sh*t and standing up for her and her people to heart. Mention should also go to Lady Scarlyt, wife of Harryld and mother to young Arnyld, who in a particularly touching moment reminds Harryld of his duties as a father in a moment of emotion driven distraction.
Within, Lee tries to wrap emotion into this swift little entry, and there is certainly a lot of heart to be had, and some emotional damage to the extent that I messaged Lee himself demanding 'what did you do?!!!'. However I did struggle to connect to the characters given the relatively short time we had with each, and I didn't fully connect with the story, mostly because I felt disconnected from the world and its many situations considering we essentially start in media res in the midst of this brotherly battle.
In fact I was surprised at the relative lack of secrets divulged about the world considering its status as a prequel novella. One senses that the dots will start to connect more once they dive into Lee's upcoming 'The Ashen Viper', and in that regard I can't quite say whether it is best read before or after (although Lee recommends it either way, there are subtle but big spoilers to certain events even within the first few chapters I've started in The Ashen Viper). I think this is perhaps a read that will grow in time, once such connections become clearer.
In terms of magic we got a little insight through the character of Celwas, the bloody king who has given himself over to the darkness both internal and external. In hiring a group of fabled undead assassins to do his dirty work, Celwas tries to absolve himself of his bloody tasks, but as the novella goes on we see how the madness consumes him and what remaining heart he has left. Oh how you will hate and pity the once mighty Celwas when you see the dastardly deeds he deigns to commit. Speaking of his undead assassins, like a lot of the book, yeah it was freaking cool. The way he just sneaks into the king's chambers like a badass, and confronts him until he is suitably slapped into submission and regretful realisation, yeah I wanna see more of these guys cus he was a real mysteriously cool villain.
Oh and the Nivenans I mentioned earlier? They ride Elks into battle. Freaking elks!!! its giving major 'The Hobbit' vibes. you may not like the movies, but damn you gotta admit Lee Pace rocked being on an elk. These Nivenanas are a northern tribe who live in deeper connection to the land, and yet are viewed as savages by many in Viriland. We don't see much of it here or its use, in fact the main thread of this is Celwas being pretty much abandoned by it, but there was enough to pique my interest. It seems there is an earth consciousness-pan psychism-psychedelic vibe to this form of magic, and thats absolutely something I'd love to see more of in fantasy (psst go read Janny Wurts Wars of Light and Shadow). However, I would've liked to have seen more emphasis on the worldbuilding in this novella considering how mysterious much of it remains.
The battle was perhaps my favourite part of this novella. There isn't too much to be added here, except to say how well written it was, it kept me gripped, I didn't get lost or confused which can sometimes happen in fantasy battles. Exactly what one needs in an fantasy epic.
Overall, an speedy and enjoyable read, giving an insight into an important historical turning point within the history of Lee's series 'The Forahm Papers', it left me intrigued for what is to come in the main saga, if feeling a little like there could've been a little more done to introduce us to the world and what is to come in ensuing saga.
August 2, 2026
Shrouded Steel for Bastard Land is my first foray into the expansive world of the Forahm Papers, and wow, what an introduction!
Although only a novella, it’s meaty and hearty and contains enough emotional weight to allow readers to become invested in the characters. There’s also a fair number of action sequences, a detailed descent into power-hungry insanity, and a satisfying revenge tale at the heart of it all.
Celwas, King of Viriland, is currently embroiled in hostilities with his twin brother, Malwas, who seeks to replace their regime with something less tyrannical. Malwas seeks aid in the form of Harryld (for all intents and purposes our main character for this novella), a lord stoically loyal to the king, but whose eldest son is Malwas’s right hand man and therefore opposed to the king.
Although at first refusing to stand against his king due to his honour-bound nature, tragedy eventually ensures Harryld agrees to take to the field against Celwas. I absolutely loved the way this character decision unfolded, because we get glimpses of Celwas’s point of view as he plots and schemes from the safety of his castle, viewing practically everyone as a potential enemy or future traitor. By succumbing to this paranoia, Celwas creates his own monsters by giving previously loyal subjects a cast-iron reason to rebel against him. It was a brilliant illustration of how ultimate power can rot a person inside and out, until they shun their family, their partners, and their advisors.
Allow power to consume you to such a degree, and your own cowardly actions will breathe life into threats that didn’t exist before.
To an extent, you can understand Celwas’s actions. He’s a victim of his own intense paranoia, and his actions reinforce a devastating momentum he’s unable to stop, even if he wanted to.
For Harryld’s part, he’s just as regretful of the path Celwas’s actions made him take, even if he craves revenge. He’s a jaded and loyal nobleman forced back out into the field of battle, circumstance making him act against what his rigid and stoic personality demands. I’m a huge fan of older protagonists in fantasy books, and Harryld is yet another older MC to add to a growing list of favourites, because he champions the tired but determined aura of a man doing what he must, what is right.
Another aspect I loved about this book was how Celwas so efficiently othered Solana’s so-called “savage” people. Solana is the wife of his brother Malwas, and belongs to a tribal people far removed from Viriland. Where Malwas embraced their culture and saw them as equals, Celwas is nothing but disdainful, wrongfully superior, and is more than happy to scapegoat Solana and blame her for the horrid decisions he makes.
This scapegoating is starkly relevant in the modern day, and Celwas deftly illustrated how easy it is to villainise people who are different from you purely because you don’t understand them. Where Harryld sees skilled allies and righteous people deserving of respect, Celwas sees animals. He labels them beasts even though his sister-in-law belongs among them.
As for Solana herself, this brings me into the matter of the female characters in this story, because I felt they were written very expertly. Solana exemplifies the warrior-princess end of the spectrum, though we also get to see her as a wife and mother.
Then there’s Scarlyt, Harryld’s own wife, not a soldier by any means but mentally and emotionally strong enough to deserve respect. There was a stand-out scene where Scarlyt calls Harryld out for the selfish way he wallows in his grief, to the detriment of their younger son, Arnyld.
There’s also Aranella, Celwas’s long-suffering wife and queen. She’s strong in her own way, standing up to her husband even though she knows of his increasing violent tendencies. Though not on-page for very long altogether, Aranella still has an impact.
Overall, this novella makes me very excited to dive into the first book in the series, the Ashen Viper. It’s an accomplished story, managing to pack a hell of a lot into a relatively small number of pages.
Thank you to the author for my ARC.
Although only a novella, it’s meaty and hearty and contains enough emotional weight to allow readers to become invested in the characters. There’s also a fair number of action sequences, a detailed descent into power-hungry insanity, and a satisfying revenge tale at the heart of it all.
Celwas, King of Viriland, is currently embroiled in hostilities with his twin brother, Malwas, who seeks to replace their regime with something less tyrannical. Malwas seeks aid in the form of Harryld (for all intents and purposes our main character for this novella), a lord stoically loyal to the king, but whose eldest son is Malwas’s right hand man and therefore opposed to the king.
Although at first refusing to stand against his king due to his honour-bound nature, tragedy eventually ensures Harryld agrees to take to the field against Celwas. I absolutely loved the way this character decision unfolded, because we get glimpses of Celwas’s point of view as he plots and schemes from the safety of his castle, viewing practically everyone as a potential enemy or future traitor. By succumbing to this paranoia, Celwas creates his own monsters by giving previously loyal subjects a cast-iron reason to rebel against him. It was a brilliant illustration of how ultimate power can rot a person inside and out, until they shun their family, their partners, and their advisors.
Allow power to consume you to such a degree, and your own cowardly actions will breathe life into threats that didn’t exist before.
To an extent, you can understand Celwas’s actions. He’s a victim of his own intense paranoia, and his actions reinforce a devastating momentum he’s unable to stop, even if he wanted to.
For Harryld’s part, he’s just as regretful of the path Celwas’s actions made him take, even if he craves revenge. He’s a jaded and loyal nobleman forced back out into the field of battle, circumstance making him act against what his rigid and stoic personality demands. I’m a huge fan of older protagonists in fantasy books, and Harryld is yet another older MC to add to a growing list of favourites, because he champions the tired but determined aura of a man doing what he must, what is right.
Another aspect I loved about this book was how Celwas so efficiently othered Solana’s so-called “savage” people. Solana is the wife of his brother Malwas, and belongs to a tribal people far removed from Viriland. Where Malwas embraced their culture and saw them as equals, Celwas is nothing but disdainful, wrongfully superior, and is more than happy to scapegoat Solana and blame her for the horrid decisions he makes.
This scapegoating is starkly relevant in the modern day, and Celwas deftly illustrated how easy it is to villainise people who are different from you purely because you don’t understand them. Where Harryld sees skilled allies and righteous people deserving of respect, Celwas sees animals. He labels them beasts even though his sister-in-law belongs among them.
As for Solana herself, this brings me into the matter of the female characters in this story, because I felt they were written very expertly. Solana exemplifies the warrior-princess end of the spectrum, though we also get to see her as a wife and mother.
Then there’s Scarlyt, Harryld’s own wife, not a soldier by any means but mentally and emotionally strong enough to deserve respect. There was a stand-out scene where Scarlyt calls Harryld out for the selfish way he wallows in his grief, to the detriment of their younger son, Arnyld.
There’s also Aranella, Celwas’s long-suffering wife and queen. She’s strong in her own way, standing up to her husband even though she knows of his increasing violent tendencies. Though not on-page for very long altogether, Aranella still has an impact.
Overall, this novella makes me very excited to dive into the first book in the series, the Ashen Viper. It’s an accomplished story, managing to pack a hell of a lot into a relatively small number of pages.
Thank you to the author for my ARC.
November 1, 2026
A gripping novella that is a prequel for The Ashen Viper, but I do think it benefits from reading the main novel first, you get so much more out of it.
While full of great action, this is a character study of madness and honor. The character work is great in such a small space, especially for the side characters, mainly the two wives of the warring brothers. There was also some great father/son moments here.
While full of great action, this is a character study of madness and honor. The character work is great in such a small space, especially for the side characters, mainly the two wives of the warring brothers. There was also some great father/son moments here.
Review of advance copy received from Author
The prose of this book gives it a literary feel. It was easy to read, but felt a little too much at points.
The story follows twins, two brothers on different sides of a conflict. The contrast was used very well.
Having read The Ashen Viper before the prequel I was suprised how little we learn about the world, the secrets are kept well. The story still works extremely well and you will leave with some emotional damage and wanting to learn more about this world.
I recived an ARC of the book by the author.
The story follows twins, two brothers on different sides of a conflict. The contrast was used very well.
Having read The Ashen Viper before the prequel I was suprised how little we learn about the world, the secrets are kept well. The story still works extremely well and you will leave with some emotional damage and wanting to learn more about this world.
I recived an ARC of the book by the author.
October 7, 2026
I was given this ARC in exchange for an honest review. This is the first non-cozy book of Lee's I've read, and it felt like a mix of Game of Thrones and The Last Kingdom. This novella has no shortage of political intrigue, betrayal, supernatural beings, mad kings, and epic battles. This is a nice teaser into the world of the Ashen Viper.
August 3, 2026
ARC Review
Set 400 years before The Ashen Viper, you get a nice introduction into it's massive world.
You follow two pov's, a lord and a awfull king. Both on each side of the war between them. With my favorite being the King, since he contributed with a epic royal drama to die for.
With Ashen Viper book 1, having a small page count on about 1100 pages I was glad I started this one first. So I could get used to the writing style before jumping into the next one, as I'm gonna do now. Which I'm super excited to start with. With the grand world, I do hope we get to see a ton of lore, multiple pov's, amazing characters and development, alot of politics, great world building, and ofc battles and banter.
Set 400 years before The Ashen Viper, you get a nice introduction into it's massive world.
You follow two pov's, a lord and a awfull king. Both on each side of the war between them. With my favorite being the King, since he contributed with a epic royal drama to die for.
With Ashen Viper book 1, having a small page count on about 1100 pages I was glad I started this one first. So I could get used to the writing style before jumping into the next one, as I'm gonna do now. Which I'm super excited to start with. With the grand world, I do hope we get to see a ton of lore, multiple pov's, amazing characters and development, alot of politics, great world building, and ofc battles and banter.
October 16, 2026
A little appraiser before the main event. Joseph John Lee delivers A Song of Ice and Fire style fantasy novella inspired by Macbeth in tragedy and the scale of Lord of the Rings. It is a bit overwhelming to those who are starting with this novella as opposed to the main book as there is a lot of lore and history that is thrown at the reader. Lee could have eased the reader in a bit better. But otherwise, this was very enjoyable!
Review of advance copy received from Author
“’Tis always the mad who would wonder why none dance among the ashes with him whilst he continues to set the flames.”
This is a great intro into the Forahm Papers. It's enough to get into the writing style and shows how well Joseph writes characters. On one side, we had characters driven by raw emotion and on the other, by madness.
I could easily see this novella being a full novel with a few more meaty chapters. It definitely makes me look forward to digging into The Ashen Viper.
This is a great intro into the Forahm Papers. It's enough to get into the writing style and shows how well Joseph writes characters. On one side, we had characters driven by raw emotion and on the other, by madness.
I could easily see this novella being a full novel with a few more meaty chapters. It definitely makes me look forward to digging into The Ashen Viper.
October 14, 2026
A new world and a book to be read on its own or as part of the Forahm Papers series.
This book delivers on every level - intriguing characters, action in spades and a plot that keeps on giving.
I really enjoyed this book and can’t wait to take the series further and delve into the Ashen Viper.
This book delivers on every level - intriguing characters, action in spades and a plot that keeps on giving.
I really enjoyed this book and can’t wait to take the series further and delve into the Ashen Viper.
October 22, 2026
I don't often look back on some of my older projects with fondness, but this novella has always been one that I've been fond of. I originally wrote it in 2019, back when this series had a different canon and I was a much rougher author. In contrast to some of the other stuff I wrote around then, I always thought there were some good bones with this story and it was worth revisiting.
Flash forward to now, and I'm immensely proud of what it's become, and what the series has turned into. If you're on the fence about diving into the series with The Ashen Viper, give this novella a go, as I think it's a perfect intro to the world. Fans of Game of Thrones and The Last Kingdom, you'll hopefully find a lot to like here.
It's out now, and I hope you'll give this new series a go!
Flash forward to now, and I'm immensely proud of what it's become, and what the series has turned into. If you're on the fence about diving into the series with The Ashen Viper, give this novella a go, as I think it's a perfect intro to the world. Fans of Game of Thrones and The Last Kingdom, you'll hopefully find a lot to like here.
It's out now, and I hope you'll give this new series a go!
Review of advance copy
I really enjoyed this novella. I loved that I was thrown into the fire and had to trust the process, and I’m glad I did. I’m not a good reviewer; it’s hard to put my thoughts down, but I enjoyed the characters in this. I had some fist-bumping moments and some moments where I was angry at a character and hoping for their death. So To get me to feel those emotions— kudos to the author just excellent character writing. Everything hit for me in this, and I can’t wait to start book 1 Ashen Viper, which will be after I get done with typing this because I want to know more about this world
September 26, 2026
Part character drama, part fantasy that felt like historical fiction, this short story hit surprisingly hard, both emotionally and physically. I love the way Joseph John Lee writes; his prose were a pleasant surprise because I’ve never read his works before, and they fit so well in this world. My emotions were invested a surprising amount and the action scenes came swiftly and hit ferociously. There was a striking amount of intrigue that centred on the characters and their interactions with one another, which gave me a chance to really get to know them.
There are a lot of horrible things that happen to the characters in Shrouded Steel For Bastard Land, but I felt especially fearful for Queen Aranella, and not just because she’s the first fictional character to very nearly share my name. She was caring and warm, but also brave and principled in the face of adversities. All the characters were very endearing and this is where the “drama” part of this story really shines.
Shrouded Steel For Bastard Land was a very rich and enjoyable read. I cannot wait to read the first book in The Forahm Papers series!
There are a lot of horrible things that happen to the characters in Shrouded Steel For Bastard Land, but I felt especially fearful for Queen Aranella, and not just because she’s the first fictional character to very nearly share my name. She was caring and warm, but also brave and principled in the face of adversities. All the characters were very endearing and this is where the “drama” part of this story really shines.
Shrouded Steel For Bastard Land was a very rich and enjoyable read. I cannot wait to read the first book in The Forahm Papers series!
October 19, 2026
I received a digital ARC from the author, and this is my personal review.
Shrouded Steel for Bastard Land was my first introduction to Joe Lee’s writing.
For me, the story pulled me into a different time and world, evoking the atmosphere of a formal medieval court. The Natura magic system was presented in an interesting way and left me wanting to learn more.
That said, I sometimes found the prose overly stylistic, and the dialogue often felt focused on characters asserting their moral superiority. On the other hand, the action-packed scenes and the more emotionally charged moments worked very well.
The best part for me was the teaser for The Ashen Viper. It raised my intrigue, and the characters immediately felt likeable. While the novella did not entirely click for me, I have a feeling The Ashen Viper will.
Shrouded Steel for Bastard Land was my first introduction to Joe Lee’s writing.
For me, the story pulled me into a different time and world, evoking the atmosphere of a formal medieval court. The Natura magic system was presented in an interesting way and left me wanting to learn more.
That said, I sometimes found the prose overly stylistic, and the dialogue often felt focused on characters asserting their moral superiority. On the other hand, the action-packed scenes and the more emotionally charged moments worked very well.
The best part for me was the teaser for The Ashen Viper. It raised my intrigue, and the characters immediately felt likeable. While the novella did not entirely click for me, I have a feeling The Ashen Viper will.
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