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The Dark Ability #5

The Shadowsteel Forge

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Fresh off a victory against the Forgotten, and with unexpected allies, Rsiran knows that the war is far from over.

An attack on someone close to him in the city leads to a search for answers, and he once again must confront the secrets hidden by his family. When he discovers a part of his people’s history long forgotten, he realizes it might hold the key to what Venass really wants… and possibly the means to stopping them.

Rsiran must learn to use all of the abilities given to him and discover a way to stop a danger to his friends as well as the city that none other than him is capable of defeating.

340 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 7, 2016

453 people are currently reading
262 people want to read

About the author

D.K. Holmberg

329 books989 followers

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5 stars
531 (47%)
4 stars
400 (35%)
3 stars
153 (13%)
2 stars
22 (1%)
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6 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
Profile Image for Evan.
43 reviews2 followers
September 2, 2016
Over the course of these books, the editing has gotten better. My issue is that certain "plot" elements have become very repetitive and have literally made me fall asleep reading multiple times.

Start of book, something is wrong.

Middle of book, Jessa and Rsiran have a fight about him not taking her everywhere with him, sometimes happens multiples times a book. It is in the top 3, for most annoying filler I have ever read. If the series wasn't so many books I may not even have noticed it since they are relatively short, but it is.

End of book, resolution of current problem, tiny intro into what solving the last problem has revealed.

I have enjoyed the books. It is something to read, but man I hated reading almost every interaction with Jessa. Can we call in the surgeon to cut the umbilical cord already? She is worse than the worst girlfriend of anyone I have ever known. You know the one who calls on that one Saturday you have seen your buddy for the first time in like 4 weeks? She is worse and it kills me to read chapters about it.
Profile Image for James Harwood-Jones.
586 reviews57 followers
July 17, 2023
so addicting!

The secrets. The conspiracies. The manipulations. With his growing discovery & mastery of skills all are being revealed. The truths bringing pain but also motivation.

Another excellent entry in this addictive series. Full of dark mysteries and innovative magic. Awesome.
Profile Image for Arnaud.
490 reviews6 followers
November 10, 2018
Excellent volume

We get quite a few answers in this novel, and things tie up nicely along the way. Rsiran is developing into a very good character which just the right traits to be a leader. The series is shaping up to deliver something good as it's nearing the end. Thumbs up on this book 5!
Profile Image for Elda.
1,203 reviews6 followers
February 13, 2019
Exceptionally written!

So much is involved in this book. It is exceptionally written. I am in awe with the ability that Mr Holmberg has to create these books. The world that he has built, the great characters and the magic. Rsiren has many magical abilities but he has learned to reason out in his mind how to do much greater things. I love how much he cares about others and wants to save them from those who want to try and defeat them. But some way or another, Rsiren figures out what to do. But now he has an even greater challenge ahead of him. I’m anxious to read the next book to find out how he deals with even more challenges. I highly recommend reading this series for all those who love intrigue and serious epic fantasy.
Profile Image for Grecia.
2 reviews1 follower
June 10, 2016
A great read

D.K. Goldberg does an excellent job of not only keeping this series interesting from book to book, but he also does a superb job of managing the escalation of the stakes from book to book. The series, to me does not feel stale or stagnant, and continues to excite and surprise me as I read it. I recommend this book to anyone who has already started the Dark Ability Book series and the series to anyone who might have doubts about investing their time in these books. It's more than worth the time to read them and it's a journey unlike any I've come across in a long time.
Profile Image for Peggy Keleher.
126 reviews1 follower
September 7, 2021
The Shadowsteel Forge

This is a wonderful series. The characters are well written and the hero, Rsiran, is very easy to root for. After overcoming a life of diversity he has mastered his abilities and has become a hero to his friends and all the people of the city. The books are full of action with a fast moving story that keeps you enthralled from book to book.
Profile Image for Connie Fogg-Bouchard.
507 reviews4 followers
October 2, 2019
sharpening

they have turned his world upside down. while his closest friends are protected and he is sure of who they are, Taiwan is no longer sure of anyone else. he has discovered traitors in safe places and the damages that are done could destroy Elvraeth and all she protects. but what if Rsiran is more than he ever thought he was?

yes, I know my titles are odd. but following the sequences of sword making is the best way i knew of to honor the way the author has honed the characters to be who they are. some come and go quickly, but mar the surface. i am truly enjoying these characters as they journey and can't help but wonder where they will go next
Profile Image for Skip Crust.
127 reviews3 followers
May 12, 2017
An excellent addition to the series!

I can't stop reading this series. The characters make you cheer, cry, and want more. My only criticism, and it's slight, is that there seems to be a bit of redundancy in how the characters behave. It would be helpful to see them grow, rather than remain static.
819 reviews3 followers
February 6, 2021
Book 5

Book 5 has the same doubts as book 4 and is compounded throughout the telling. It becomes very distracting and annoying after a time. The characters have developed mostly well, but the doubts and questioning without answers for 75% of the book is taxing while reading and gives a fewling of "is it over yet?". The ending is somewhat predictable, but well told in places.
475 reviews4 followers
September 21, 2018
Riveting

This story just keeps getting better and better. Now I'm forced to wait until payday to complete another book. I love books and sometimes have to wait to buy more. This story is awesome. More twist and turns than I could have imagined.
Profile Image for Pauline Haney Hughes.
51 reviews
September 27, 2018
The Dark Ability book #5 of 7

The Shadowsteel Forge
Our main character faces new and dangerous forces! Struggling with how to keep his friend and family safe from those that would seem revenge of leverage against him. He has grown and discovers new abilities as he seems to do what he needs to do to combat the growing evil. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
D.K. Bloomberg is a fantastic writer!
Profile Image for Gaileen Crowell.
171 reviews
February 9, 2019
Excellent and enjoyable read in an amazing universe

Continues the journey of a youngmetal smith who possesses all the gifts of his peop!e
and tries to use those for good. The saga is believable, captivating and moves quickly. Hoping for more from Holmberg in this universe.






Profile Image for Sarah reid.
59 reviews5 followers
January 20, 2020
the girlfriend bugs the crap outta me... very much a hypocrite about leaving and not letting her know or go with him everywhere he goes. & of course keeps secrets from him but of course he doesnt say anything about it. getting old. or i just really dont like that.. lol
Profile Image for Ryan Mueller.
Author 9 books83 followers
January 30, 2020
Another great entry in a series that just keeps growing on me. Holmberg is very good at crafting a story that keeps you turning the pages. There's a sense of mystery about the world that keeps me interested even when there's not a lot of action going on.
2 reviews
November 26, 2016
An overall good book/series

Not the most complex book I am sure....but it has kept me wanting to turn the page instead of going to sleep.
Profile Image for Sherri Anderson.
33 reviews
August 11, 2018
Enjoying read

Everything was going along good but the ENTIRE ending of the book was missing.
Grrrr. What the heck Amazon. Attention.
12 reviews
October 26, 2018
Awesome

Exciting adventure and great story line. No doubt would also be a great movie. Look forward to reading book 6.
152 reviews
June 20, 2020
Loved it!

This series gets better with every book. A lot of questions are answered in this book so that was exciting. I can’t wait to read the next one.
85 reviews
January 17, 2023
The Shadowsteel Forge

Exciting, more twists and turns than a roller coaster. This book was very enjoyable, the few grammatical errors did not detract from it. On to book 6.
Profile Image for Cassie.
39 reviews
December 31, 2024
The dark ability novels represent what I love about indie ebook publishing oh my God I would kill to write a screenplay adaptation. Actually started one just for fun.
Profile Image for Ryan Stefan.
13 reviews
September 26, 2018
I like these books, but you can tell that the author doesn't really have a detailed master plan. It's pretty random and some of the time it kinda feels like it's going in a bunch of pointless directions. I like the way the author writes... I just like a lot of structure and buildup.
Profile Image for Luisa.
543 reviews23 followers
June 22, 2016
Kind of bummed that this isn't over yet, but that's only because the next book isn't out yet and it left me curious. The main threat
Profile Image for Stephen Levesque.
2,806 reviews
January 1, 2021
This series is full of excitement, adventure, trills, surprises and mystery! Be warned: you will not be able to put it down. Grabs you and you there for a ride through the well thought out story and great characters that you will fall in love with. Great writing! Great Reading Everyone!
Update: I read this series again, I love it even more. I read a book a day pretty much and I enjoyed them together (meaning one after another). You will enjoy these.
584 reviews14 followers
March 20, 2017
Like the other books in the series, this was a fast paced, exciting read. It does have rather a making it up as I go along, rather than planned, feel, with characters changing who or what they are to suit each new direction of the story. I also feel that Rsiran is surrounded by cardboard characters, no-one else in the story has any depth.
187 reviews
June 15, 2016
The Shadowsteel Forge (The Dark Ability Book 5) by D. K. Holmberg

This was a fantastic book full of excitement and magic. It kept me enthralled from beginning to end. I can't wait to read the next book in the series.
Profile Image for Tony.
91 reviews1 follower
June 11, 2016
This series keeps getting better and better. The character growth is amazing and the plot thickens enough to keep you in your toes the entire ride.
Profile Image for arnold miller.
129 reviews
September 25, 2016
Whew!

This is an absolutely terrific series. I would recommend without any reservations. Once again I can't wait to read the next book.o
Profile Image for Steen Holst.
5 reviews
November 9, 2016
Good story, love the serie

Th e story continues and more serets are revealed. Well written, impressive macial setup andre, love the way jeg grow and Lean
Profile Image for william  Goodrow.
195 reviews2 followers
November 1, 2016
The Shadowsteel Forge

The tale continues with a lot of intrigue and mayhem. Really enthralling and captivating to read. Enjoy this book please.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews

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