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The Soul Forge Saga #3
Into the Madness
How do you survive a confrontation with a wyrm bent on destroying the world? Walk into its gaping maw and fight it from within.
A ragtag group of assassins set out to end the land’s suffering only to discover death awaiting them with open arms.
A carefully hidden truth is revealed—the key to the kingdom’s salvation if the Wizard of the North and her unstable companion can live long enough to unlock its secret.
Waylaid by an eccentric necromancer, and suffering a tragic loss that threatens to ruin their poorly laid plan, the companions stagger toward a fate no one ever envisioned.
An obsidian nightmare is summoned and Zephyr will never be the same.
A ragtag group of assassins set out to end the land’s suffering only to discover death awaiting them with open arms.
A carefully hidden truth is revealed—the key to the kingdom’s salvation if the Wizard of the North and her unstable companion can live long enough to unlock its secret.
Waylaid by an eccentric necromancer, and suffering a tragic loss that threatens to ruin their poorly laid plan, the companions stagger toward a fate no one ever envisioned.
An obsidian nightmare is summoned and Zephyr will never be the same.
339 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 12, 2019
1 person is currently reading
14 people want to read
About the author
Richard H. Stephens
23 books140 followersBorn in Simcoe, Ontario, in 1965, I began writing circa 1974; a bored child looking for something to while away the long, summertime days. My penchant for reading The Hardy Boys led to an inspiration one sweltering summer afternoon when my best friend and I thought, "Hey, we could write one of those." And so, I did.
As my reading horizons broadened, so did my writing. Star Wars inspired me to write a 600-page novel about outer space that caught the attention of a special teacher, Mr. Woodley, who encouraged me to keep writing.
A trip to a local book store saw the proprietor introduce me to Stephen R. Donaldson and Terry Brooks. My writing life was forever changed.
At 17, I left high school to join the working world to support my first son. For the next twenty-two years I worked as a shipper at a local bakery. At the age of 36, I went back to high school to complete my education. After graduating with honours at the age of thirty-nine, I became a member of our local Police Service, and worked for 12 years in the provincial court system.
In early 2017, I resigned from the Police Service to pursue my love of writing full-time. With the help and support of my lovely wife Caroline and our 5 children, I have now realized my boyhood dream.
As my reading horizons broadened, so did my writing. Star Wars inspired me to write a 600-page novel about outer space that caught the attention of a special teacher, Mr. Woodley, who encouraged me to keep writing.
A trip to a local book store saw the proprietor introduce me to Stephen R. Donaldson and Terry Brooks. My writing life was forever changed.
At 17, I left high school to join the working world to support my first son. For the next twenty-two years I worked as a shipper at a local bakery. At the age of 36, I went back to high school to complete my education. After graduating with honours at the age of thirty-nine, I became a member of our local Police Service, and worked for 12 years in the provincial court system.
In early 2017, I resigned from the Police Service to pursue my love of writing full-time. With the help and support of my lovely wife Caroline and our 5 children, I have now realized my boyhood dream.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
July 11, 2019
Review for “Into the Madness” by Richard H. Stephens:
It’s the third book from the “Soul Forge Saga” series written by Canadian author Richard H. Stephens. The story focuses on Silurian, Melody and their friends’ last adventure which gets even more dangerous than ever before. Truths will be revealed, enemies and friends will come face-to-face, and a dark force needs to be stopped and… maybe a surprise awaits all you dragon fans. Will the world be saved? Will our heroes manage to stop Helleden’s plan to destroy the Kingdom of Zephyr?
Mr. Stephens attracts his readers through his unique writing style and makes them feel as if they’re in the characters’ shoes. In the final book of the “Soul Forge Saga”, Silurian, Melody and their friends face a variety of obstacles that will test their loyalty, friendship, also their physical, psychological and spiritual strength. Many plot twists await the readers at every page read, shocking things will be revealed.
Like in most stories there are many things with a symbolic meaning namely, the color orange like the magic fire used by Melody or the fur of a Voil that represents a risk-taking sociable person, warmth and the good side of fire; red like in the time the runes of Melody’s staff glow in that hue every time she get closer and closer to the desired magical object, or like the color of a demon’s eyes and skin that represents alert, fury, evil; blue like the blue glow of the staff whenever ice spells are used that represent coldness, white – purity, death in some countries, gray – sadness, coldness and the ability to adapt in any situation since one’s Helleden’s minions have no trouble with that regardless of the place and weather and black – evil, mystery, darkness, secretive.
Nature is mostly present in the story. The mountains represent overcoming obstacles, making progress, spiritual and mental improvement since the characters mostly climb mountains; fir trees - honesty, progress, friendship, remembrance; heather may symbolize independence just like in Sadyra’s case, blood, bloodshed, protection, respect, admiration and good luck since the tough archer escaped unharmed during the final battle and the man she loves is saved by an unsuspected ally.
There are many references to mythology, folklore and religion throughout the story. We can associate the dangerous rocky Gimcrack with the Midgard Serpent from the Norse Mythology since both creatures are inhabiting in the depths of the earth and desperately want to engulf the world. The scenes when Melody is searching for the key to her and her brother’s salvation in the bowels of the earth wyrm is similar to the biblical story of Jonah and the whale since both characters try to escape from inside a dangerous creature. The brothers Io can be considered Castor and Pollux from Greek Mythology, but the opposite of them because Solomon turned out to be a traitor, assisting at the murder of the king while Samuel is more friendly and compassionate toward others like in the scene when he hosts some of the heroes in his home. Sadyra has many similarities with Artemis, the goddess of the moon and the hunt because both characters are fierce independent women who are good archers and hunters, and they show great survival skills. The Vaults of Lore and the Wizard’s Spike are similar to the Great Library of Alexandria since they contain great knowledge about the past especially about magic and magical creatures. The fact that the Wizard of the North has to spend most of his time in loneliness in a secluded cave in the mountains reminds us of Saint Andrew who spent most of his time in a cave and it makes reference to the monks and saints who spent their lives alone dry fasting.
The journey the author invites his readers to take isn’t a simple one because only those who are strong enough to survive harsh weather, overcome formidable obstacles and are careful enough to not get „into the madness” will make it alive to their destination. Despite the perils and obstacles, the readers will learn important lessons along the way like nothing is what it seems, character is not built by clothing, looks and social class, we can be our worst enemy like in Silurian’s case, a man is judged by his deeds not by his words, experiences have huge impacts on us changing our lives for the best or for the worst and it takes the greed of one man to destroy the balance of the world.
The readers will experience a flood of emotions while childish scenes, humor, adventure, sacrifices, suspense and magic awaits them throughout the story. They will identify themselves with the troubled yet brave Silurian, the smart, vigilant and compassionate Melody, the bold tomboy Sadyra, the kind giants with a lion heart Pollard and Olmar and the wise Alhena. Helleden and his minions are the image of greedy, vengeful, shallow, power hungry people who want everything for themselves despite the consequences. The dragon mentioned in the story is similar to Moby Dick from Herman Melville’s novel since it can be captured by no one. It is a bit the opposite in Mr. Stephens’ book because the magical beast will form a bond only with the chosen one.
Along with J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, Sophie Audouin-Mamikonian, J. K. Rowling, Laura Știrbu, B. K. Boes, Chris Riddell, K. M. Jenkins, Elena Kedros, Paula Harrison, Emily Martha Sorensen, Richard H. Stephens revolutionized fantasy literature through his writing style and the world which he created out of pure imagination. I also want to mention that the author added a pinch of Dickensian touch to the story as well because he portrayed the social classes, the characters’ lifestyles etc.
I recommend this book to readers 15+ because there are scenes that are not age-appropriate for younger readers.
Merged review:
Review for “Into the Madness” by Richard H. Stephens:
It’s the third book from the “Soul Forge Saga” series written by Canadian author Richard H. Stephens. The story focuses on Silurian, Melody and their friends’ last adventure which gets even more dangerous than ever before. Truths will be revealed, enemies and friends will come face-to-face, and a dark force needs to be stopped and… maybe a surprise awaits all you dragon fans. Will the world be saved? Will our heroes manage to stop Helleden’s plan to destroy the Kingdom of Zephyr?
Mr. Stephens attracts his readers through his unique writing style and makes them feel as if they’re in the characters’ shoes. In the final book of the “Soul Forge Saga”, Silurian, Melody and their friends face a variety of obstacles that will test their loyalty, friendship, also their physical, psychological and spiritual strength. Many plot twists await the readers at every page read, shocking things will be revealed.
Like in most stories there are many things with a symbolic meaning namely, the color orange like the magic fire used by Melody or the fur of a Voil that represents a risk-taking sociable person, warmth and the good side of fire; red like in the time the runes of Melody’s staff glow in that hue every time she get closer and closer to the desired magical object, or like the color of a demon’s eyes and skin that represents alert, fury, evil; blue like the blue glow of the staff whenever ice spells are used that represent coldness, white – purity, death in some countries, gray – sadness, coldness and the ability to adapt in any situation since one’s Helleden’s minions have no trouble with that regardless of the place and weather and black – evil, mystery, darkness, secretive.
Nature is mostly present in the story. The mountains represent overcoming obstacles, making progress, spiritual and mental improvement since the characters mostly climb mountains; fir trees - honesty, progress, friendship, remembrance; heather may symbolize independence just like in Sadyra’s case, blood, bloodshed, protection, respect, admiration and good luck since the tough archer escaped unharmed during the final battle and the man she loves is saved by an unsuspected ally.
There are many references to mythology, folklore and religion throughout the story. We can associate the dangerous rocky Gimcrack with the Midgard Serpent from the Norse Mythology since both creatures are inhabiting in the depths of the earth and desperately want to engulf the world. The scenes when Melody is searching for the key to her and her brother’s salvation in the bowels of the earth wyrm is similar to the biblical story of Jonah and the whale since both characters try to escape from inside a dangerous creature. The brothers Io can be considered Castor and Pollux from Greek Mythology, but the opposite of them because Solomon turned out to be a traitor, assisting at the murder of the king while Samuel is more friendly and compassionate toward others like in the scene when he hosts some of the heroes in his home. Sadyra has many similarities with Artemis, the goddess of the moon and the hunt because both characters are fierce independent women who are good archers and hunters, and they show great survival skills. The Vaults of Lore and the Wizard’s Spike are similar to the Great Library of Alexandria since they contain great knowledge about the past especially about magic and magical creatures. The fact that the Wizard of the North has to spend most of his time in loneliness in a secluded cave in the mountains reminds us of Saint Andrew who spent most of his time in a cave and it makes reference to the monks and saints who spent their lives alone dry fasting.
The journey the author invites his readers to take isn’t a simple one because only those who are strong enough to survive harsh weather, overcome formidable obstacles and are careful enough to not get „into the madness” will make it alive to their destination. Despite the perils and obstacles, the readers will learn important lessons along the way like nothing is what it seems, character is not built by clothing, looks and social class, we can be our worst enemy like in Silurian’s case, a man is judged by his deeds not by his words, experiences have huge impacts on us changing our lives for the best or for the worst and it takes the greed of one man to destroy the balance of the world.
The readers will experience a flood of emotions while childish scenes, humor, adventure, sacrifices, suspense and magic awaits them throughout the story. They will identify themselves with the troubled yet brave Silurian, the smart, vigilant and compassionate Melody, the bold tomboy Sadyra, the kind giants with a lion heart Pollard and Olmar and the wise Alhena. Helleden and his minions are the image of greedy, vengeful, shallow, power hungry people who want everything for themselves despite the consequences. The dragon mentioned in the story is similar to Moby Dick from Herman Melville’s novel since it can be captured by no one. It is a bit the opposite in Mr. Stephens’ book because the magical beast will form a bond only with the chosen one.
Along with J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, Sophie Audouin-Mamikonian, J. K. Rowling, Laura Știrbu, B. K. Boes, Chris Riddell, K. M. Jenkins, Elena Kedros, Paula Harrison, Emily Martha Sorensen, Richard H. Stephens revolutionized fantasy literature through his writing style and the world which he created out of pure imagination. I also want to mention that the author added a pinch of Dickensian touch to the story as well because he portrayed the social classes, the characters’ lifestyles etc.
I recommend this book to readers 15+ because there are scenes that are not age-appropriate for younger readers.
It’s the third book from the “Soul Forge Saga” series written by Canadian author Richard H. Stephens. The story focuses on Silurian, Melody and their friends’ last adventure which gets even more dangerous than ever before. Truths will be revealed, enemies and friends will come face-to-face, and a dark force needs to be stopped and… maybe a surprise awaits all you dragon fans. Will the world be saved? Will our heroes manage to stop Helleden’s plan to destroy the Kingdom of Zephyr?
Mr. Stephens attracts his readers through his unique writing style and makes them feel as if they’re in the characters’ shoes. In the final book of the “Soul Forge Saga”, Silurian, Melody and their friends face a variety of obstacles that will test their loyalty, friendship, also their physical, psychological and spiritual strength. Many plot twists await the readers at every page read, shocking things will be revealed.
Like in most stories there are many things with a symbolic meaning namely, the color orange like the magic fire used by Melody or the fur of a Voil that represents a risk-taking sociable person, warmth and the good side of fire; red like in the time the runes of Melody’s staff glow in that hue every time she get closer and closer to the desired magical object, or like the color of a demon’s eyes and skin that represents alert, fury, evil; blue like the blue glow of the staff whenever ice spells are used that represent coldness, white – purity, death in some countries, gray – sadness, coldness and the ability to adapt in any situation since one’s Helleden’s minions have no trouble with that regardless of the place and weather and black – evil, mystery, darkness, secretive.
Nature is mostly present in the story. The mountains represent overcoming obstacles, making progress, spiritual and mental improvement since the characters mostly climb mountains; fir trees - honesty, progress, friendship, remembrance; heather may symbolize independence just like in Sadyra’s case, blood, bloodshed, protection, respect, admiration and good luck since the tough archer escaped unharmed during the final battle and the man she loves is saved by an unsuspected ally.
There are many references to mythology, folklore and religion throughout the story. We can associate the dangerous rocky Gimcrack with the Midgard Serpent from the Norse Mythology since both creatures are inhabiting in the depths of the earth and desperately want to engulf the world. The scenes when Melody is searching for the key to her and her brother’s salvation in the bowels of the earth wyrm is similar to the biblical story of Jonah and the whale since both characters try to escape from inside a dangerous creature. The brothers Io can be considered Castor and Pollux from Greek Mythology, but the opposite of them because Solomon turned out to be a traitor, assisting at the murder of the king while Samuel is more friendly and compassionate toward others like in the scene when he hosts some of the heroes in his home. Sadyra has many similarities with Artemis, the goddess of the moon and the hunt because both characters are fierce independent women who are good archers and hunters, and they show great survival skills. The Vaults of Lore and the Wizard’s Spike are similar to the Great Library of Alexandria since they contain great knowledge about the past especially about magic and magical creatures. The fact that the Wizard of the North has to spend most of his time in loneliness in a secluded cave in the mountains reminds us of Saint Andrew who spent most of his time in a cave and it makes reference to the monks and saints who spent their lives alone dry fasting.
The journey the author invites his readers to take isn’t a simple one because only those who are strong enough to survive harsh weather, overcome formidable obstacles and are careful enough to not get „into the madness” will make it alive to their destination. Despite the perils and obstacles, the readers will learn important lessons along the way like nothing is what it seems, character is not built by clothing, looks and social class, we can be our worst enemy like in Silurian’s case, a man is judged by his deeds not by his words, experiences have huge impacts on us changing our lives for the best or for the worst and it takes the greed of one man to destroy the balance of the world.
The readers will experience a flood of emotions while childish scenes, humor, adventure, sacrifices, suspense and magic awaits them throughout the story. They will identify themselves with the troubled yet brave Silurian, the smart, vigilant and compassionate Melody, the bold tomboy Sadyra, the kind giants with a lion heart Pollard and Olmar and the wise Alhena. Helleden and his minions are the image of greedy, vengeful, shallow, power hungry people who want everything for themselves despite the consequences. The dragon mentioned in the story is similar to Moby Dick from Herman Melville’s novel since it can be captured by no one. It is a bit the opposite in Mr. Stephens’ book because the magical beast will form a bond only with the chosen one.
Along with J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, Sophie Audouin-Mamikonian, J. K. Rowling, Laura Știrbu, B. K. Boes, Chris Riddell, K. M. Jenkins, Elena Kedros, Paula Harrison, Emily Martha Sorensen, Richard H. Stephens revolutionized fantasy literature through his writing style and the world which he created out of pure imagination. I also want to mention that the author added a pinch of Dickensian touch to the story as well because he portrayed the social classes, the characters’ lifestyles etc.
I recommend this book to readers 15+ because there are scenes that are not age-appropriate for younger readers.
Merged review:
Review for “Into the Madness” by Richard H. Stephens:
It’s the third book from the “Soul Forge Saga” series written by Canadian author Richard H. Stephens. The story focuses on Silurian, Melody and their friends’ last adventure which gets even more dangerous than ever before. Truths will be revealed, enemies and friends will come face-to-face, and a dark force needs to be stopped and… maybe a surprise awaits all you dragon fans. Will the world be saved? Will our heroes manage to stop Helleden’s plan to destroy the Kingdom of Zephyr?
Mr. Stephens attracts his readers through his unique writing style and makes them feel as if they’re in the characters’ shoes. In the final book of the “Soul Forge Saga”, Silurian, Melody and their friends face a variety of obstacles that will test their loyalty, friendship, also their physical, psychological and spiritual strength. Many plot twists await the readers at every page read, shocking things will be revealed.
Like in most stories there are many things with a symbolic meaning namely, the color orange like the magic fire used by Melody or the fur of a Voil that represents a risk-taking sociable person, warmth and the good side of fire; red like in the time the runes of Melody’s staff glow in that hue every time she get closer and closer to the desired magical object, or like the color of a demon’s eyes and skin that represents alert, fury, evil; blue like the blue glow of the staff whenever ice spells are used that represent coldness, white – purity, death in some countries, gray – sadness, coldness and the ability to adapt in any situation since one’s Helleden’s minions have no trouble with that regardless of the place and weather and black – evil, mystery, darkness, secretive.
Nature is mostly present in the story. The mountains represent overcoming obstacles, making progress, spiritual and mental improvement since the characters mostly climb mountains; fir trees - honesty, progress, friendship, remembrance; heather may symbolize independence just like in Sadyra’s case, blood, bloodshed, protection, respect, admiration and good luck since the tough archer escaped unharmed during the final battle and the man she loves is saved by an unsuspected ally.
There are many references to mythology, folklore and religion throughout the story. We can associate the dangerous rocky Gimcrack with the Midgard Serpent from the Norse Mythology since both creatures are inhabiting in the depths of the earth and desperately want to engulf the world. The scenes when Melody is searching for the key to her and her brother’s salvation in the bowels of the earth wyrm is similar to the biblical story of Jonah and the whale since both characters try to escape from inside a dangerous creature. The brothers Io can be considered Castor and Pollux from Greek Mythology, but the opposite of them because Solomon turned out to be a traitor, assisting at the murder of the king while Samuel is more friendly and compassionate toward others like in the scene when he hosts some of the heroes in his home. Sadyra has many similarities with Artemis, the goddess of the moon and the hunt because both characters are fierce independent women who are good archers and hunters, and they show great survival skills. The Vaults of Lore and the Wizard’s Spike are similar to the Great Library of Alexandria since they contain great knowledge about the past especially about magic and magical creatures. The fact that the Wizard of the North has to spend most of his time in loneliness in a secluded cave in the mountains reminds us of Saint Andrew who spent most of his time in a cave and it makes reference to the monks and saints who spent their lives alone dry fasting.
The journey the author invites his readers to take isn’t a simple one because only those who are strong enough to survive harsh weather, overcome formidable obstacles and are careful enough to not get „into the madness” will make it alive to their destination. Despite the perils and obstacles, the readers will learn important lessons along the way like nothing is what it seems, character is not built by clothing, looks and social class, we can be our worst enemy like in Silurian’s case, a man is judged by his deeds not by his words, experiences have huge impacts on us changing our lives for the best or for the worst and it takes the greed of one man to destroy the balance of the world.
The readers will experience a flood of emotions while childish scenes, humor, adventure, sacrifices, suspense and magic awaits them throughout the story. They will identify themselves with the troubled yet brave Silurian, the smart, vigilant and compassionate Melody, the bold tomboy Sadyra, the kind giants with a lion heart Pollard and Olmar and the wise Alhena. Helleden and his minions are the image of greedy, vengeful, shallow, power hungry people who want everything for themselves despite the consequences. The dragon mentioned in the story is similar to Moby Dick from Herman Melville’s novel since it can be captured by no one. It is a bit the opposite in Mr. Stephens’ book because the magical beast will form a bond only with the chosen one.
Along with J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, Sophie Audouin-Mamikonian, J. K. Rowling, Laura Știrbu, B. K. Boes, Chris Riddell, K. M. Jenkins, Elena Kedros, Paula Harrison, Emily Martha Sorensen, Richard H. Stephens revolutionized fantasy literature through his writing style and the world which he created out of pure imagination. I also want to mention that the author added a pinch of Dickensian touch to the story as well because he portrayed the social classes, the characters’ lifestyles etc.
I recommend this book to readers 15+ because there are scenes that are not age-appropriate for younger readers.
March 26, 2019
This book was great. A grand finish to a great series.
Love the battle scenes and character development.
Looking forward to more books from Richard.
Love the battle scenes and character development.
Looking forward to more books from Richard.
February 22, 2021
My favorite in the soul forge series thus far!
This book doesn't release its grip on you from the moment you start it (all three books seamlessly tell the tale)
Thoroughly enjoyed this series!
This book doesn't release its grip on you from the moment you start it (all three books seamlessly tell the tale)
Thoroughly enjoyed this series!
March 25, 2021
I love this series!. I recommend this series to everyone. I love reading books with magic, mystery's, and mayhem. Richard H. Stephens is a great writer. I can't wait to read more from him.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews