Forged in Fire: The Soldier. The Civilian. The Truth.

by A. C. Leo

A daring civilian and an anonymous soldier meet. What follows is a journey into the depths of a soldier's life facing battles both on the frontlines and on the home front. These raw, unfiltered conversations reveal the true enemy beyond what we are all made to believe—a hidden enemy that wages war within us all.

What stories will be told? What questions will be asked? What answers are you ready to hear? These conversations have waited long enough. The silence has now broken...the soldier has now spoken.

"This is my story." —The Unknown Soldier

283 pages, Paperback

Published October 21, 2026

Reviews

[Renée Gendron]

A gritty dialogue between a civilian and a member of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF). The book's premise is a series of informal talks and interviews between a civilian and a soldier in which the soldier shares their experiences in the military. Topics range for what it's like being married to a soldier, what it takes to be a military spouse, to some getting-to-know-you banter to conversations about what it's like to serve on the front lines in Afghanistan.

Very interesting. Conversational and real in tone, not journalistic with plenty of insights of the grind and toll soldiering takes on the soldier, their unit, and their families.

Well worth the read.

[DarkBetweenPages · Rating 5 out of 5]

Forged in Fire, what an interesting read.

1 Civilian – 1 Soldier

Typically, when reading or watching something in this format the interviewer is a professional reporter or journalist and the questions can seem a bit more calculated. Almost as if they are purposely protecting people/companies in a higher power, being sure to stay within certain boundaries. Forged in Fire is different; the interviewer is an everyday civilian, such as you and I, with many questions needing answers. She doesn’t hesitate to push for a little more with her questioning. Of course, while being completely respectful to the Soldier and his boundaries, her concern is to protect the soldier directly. I also appreciated the respect and understanding the Civilian and the Soldier had for each other through-out, even if they didn’t see eye to eye with each other topic.

The Civilian: She was on top of her questioning. A couple moments throughout the read I felt certain questions could have had more follow up, even more detail. Just as I felt they were moving on to a different topic and I wouldn’t receive what my brain so desperately wanted, she would find a way to work it back into questioning. Her questions were also very well thought-out, and she came up with discussions I wouldn’t have thought of, discussions that need to be had. Could have fooled me, had I not known I would have thought she was in this profession.

The Soldier: He was honest and direct with his answers. He was considerate to others with how he held himself and how he spoke. However, he was answering based on his experiences and his opinions. This was his story to be told! No matter how hard some of the questions or discussion may have been for him to dive into, he had an open mind. He knew these were questions that needed to be answered, this was information that needed to be out in the world. Help people see the bigger picture, help them to understand and hopefully create some change in the future.

Now, for the writing style, I enjoyed it! The stories shared, the conversation back and forth and the addition of their actions such as when someone might have smiled or chuckled, helped set the tone and paint a picture of how they were interacting with each other during their sessions. While reading I was able to picture this almost as a documentary style in my head.

I would recommend this read to others. I do believe this is information that is helpful being out there and I do believe some may be shocked to hear that something may be very different then what they saw it to be. I know I was and I learned a lot.

Thank you very much to Vasco Publishing for a copy of this to complete a review.

- Nichi aka DarkBetweenPages

[Akriti Pandey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this book because of its rather interesting premise: a conversation between a civilian and a militant. There are so many questions that come to mind when we think about conflict, war, and the people involved in it. Yet, much of our understanding and perception is shaped by what we consume through the media, movies, and fictional accounts. The reality, however, can be far more nuanced, and this book gives readers an opportunity to explore two different perspectives: one from the civilian's side and the other from a military personnel's point of view.

What I particularly enjoyed about this book is that readers get to see both sides of the debate. Each conversation presents a question, gives you an opportunity to reflect on where you stand, and then allows you to consider the opposing perspective. In a world where so much information is presented from a single angle, I think books like this are important. They challenge our existing perceptions, encourage us to question what we believe, and help expand our worldview. Sometimes, the most valuable takeaway from a book is not necessarily agreeing with a particular perspective but learning to think critically and consider viewpoints different from our own.

There are quite a few topics discussed in the book that can be triggering, and some of the descriptions of war scenes can be disturbing, so I would recommend exercising caution before picking this one up.

Overall, this was a very interesting and different kind of read, and I appreciated the interactive element as well. There are QR codes scattered throughout the book that allow readers to ask their own questions and share comments, making the reading experience feel even more engaging. Definitely a thought provoking read!

[Kali Larsson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This books is for everyone, because our understanding of war is too often shaped by headlines, brief news reports, and movie portrayals. It should be read by those who serve, and those considering a career in the military, to understand what military service truly entails beyond what we see from the outside.

An important discussion point in this book is the lasting impact of war on those who serve, and their families. The consequences don't simply end when a soldier comes home, or when someone is released from military service. The physical, psychological, and emotional toll follow them for the rest of their lives. And so should support.

[J.R. Vieira · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn’t know I needed to read this book until I did. It’s raw, unfiltered and informative. It’s a book everyone should read. It’s not for the weak. There were moments I had to stop to digest what I just finished reading. It will question your own ideas and maybe reinforce some. It’s heavy, but very important to read.

[Michelle Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intriguing and insightful. Kept me turning pages. So interesting to get a look into this perspective. Thanks for letting me be an ARC reader for this one !