What do you think?
Rate this book
The Forgemaster Cycle #1-3
The Forgemaster Cycle Trilogy: The Complete Epic Fantasy Adventure.
Immerse yourself in the enthralling Forgemaster Cycle, where destiny, ancient secrets, and gods collide. Join William Reis and his companions as they navigate the treacherous realms of Palnor and Alos, where every choice echoes through eternity.
Blood of a Fallen Witness the transformation of William Reis as he shatters an age-old law in his quest to become a Guild Smith. In doing so, he unleashes a storm of peril that threatens not only his life but also the lives of those he holds dear. To save his cousin, Duncan Reis, William must defy destiny and attempt the impossible...
The Anvil of Named Forgemaster, William has achieved the unthinkable. But his triumph comes at a steep price, and the weight of his choices haunts him. When a glimmer of hope arises to regain what he has lost, William embarks on a perilous journey to the birthplace of the Gods—the Anvil of Souls—only to face the ultimate deception by someone he trusts...
A City in Blue: Escaping the Anvil of Souls, William Reis and Myriam VolFar discover the enigmatic 'City'—a place where true magic thrives. As they are drawn into a tangled web of power and deceit, William and Myriam must overcome their differences to confront a formidable enemy. For only by reshaping everything can they forge a path forward.
Dive into this captivating and complete fantasy epic that will leave you spellbound.
Praise for the Forgemaster Cycle
"A masterful blend of original fantasy, compelling characters, and unexpected twists. This epic saga delivers action, intrigue, and wonder in abundance!"
"Discover a world filled with friends and foes, Tarns, anvils, forges, MAGIC, gods, darkness, healers, crafters, and machines. The Forgemaster Cycle will captivate your imagination and hold it hostage until the very end!"
Blood of a Fallen Witness the transformation of William Reis as he shatters an age-old law in his quest to become a Guild Smith. In doing so, he unleashes a storm of peril that threatens not only his life but also the lives of those he holds dear. To save his cousin, Duncan Reis, William must defy destiny and attempt the impossible...
The Anvil of Named Forgemaster, William has achieved the unthinkable. But his triumph comes at a steep price, and the weight of his choices haunts him. When a glimmer of hope arises to regain what he has lost, William embarks on a perilous journey to the birthplace of the Gods—the Anvil of Souls—only to face the ultimate deception by someone he trusts...
A City in Blue: Escaping the Anvil of Souls, William Reis and Myriam VolFar discover the enigmatic 'City'—a place where true magic thrives. As they are drawn into a tangled web of power and deceit, William and Myriam must overcome their differences to confront a formidable enemy. For only by reshaping everything can they forge a path forward.
Dive into this captivating and complete fantasy epic that will leave you spellbound.
Praise for the Forgemaster Cycle
"A masterful blend of original fantasy, compelling characters, and unexpected twists. This epic saga delivers action, intrigue, and wonder in abundance!"
"Discover a world filled with friends and foes, Tarns, anvils, forges, MAGIC, gods, darkness, healers, crafters, and machines. The Forgemaster Cycle will captivate your imagination and hold it hostage until the very end!"
1568 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 3, 2022
48 people are currently reading
44 people want to read
About the author
Joshua C. Cook
28 books47 followersBorn and Raised in Sunny (sometimes) Florida, I grew up in a house of readers. I've always been into good Sci-Fi, fantasy, and technology. In fact I ended up somehow working in the IT field for the last 13 years.
One of the things that surprised me about my career was the interaction of people with technology. How blindly trusting people are of whatever the computer says on it, regardless if what it's saying is even possible.
When I decided to write, I chose to play in the space of the interaction between people and technology, and reality vs. perception.
One of the things that surprised me about my career was the interaction of people with technology. How blindly trusting people are of whatever the computer says on it, regardless if what it's saying is even possible.
When I decided to write, I chose to play in the space of the interaction between people and technology, and reality vs. perception.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
March 17, 2022
Wow three great adventures for the price of one, you so can't go wrong. This is not my normal genre (I like mysteries) so I wasn't sure about this book but I wanted a change and the blurb sounded good, so I thought I would give it a go. Glad I did because I enjoyed the book and the time just flew by. With all the action and mystery as to who was going to survive, the story did not seem that long. The story does contain plenty of fighting and some unexpected deaths. It is told by multiple characters, so you follow both sides of the story as it unfolds. It is well written, the author has a way with words that make the scenes unfold before your eyes and the characters were likeable and left you hoping for a happy ending for them.
Blood of a fallen God
After the death of his father and mother, William's dream is to complete his father's quest to become a member of the Smithing Guild. No one from his village has ever made it past the first stage but William is a Reis. His bloodline can be traced back all the way to the very last blacksmith that served the God before the epic battle that killed him. The reason for this is because the church are using items from the dead god to gain power and prestige and a Reis has the power to resurrect the God breaking there dominance over everything. William's entry piece is good enough to get him in but with his name stopping him he and the master guilder smuggle him In under a new name. There is one more Reis left alive, his cousin Duncan who while helping him forge his entry piece pays the ultimate price. He gets cut by a sword he finds in the abandoned forge and gets infected by a blood curse, most men are driven mad by the curse but with Duncan's Reis blood running through his veins he fights to battle the thirst for blood in order to help his beloved cousin. The two travel separately and take very different paths, one to join the master guilders and the other to save his cousin from being killed. With enemies and beasts trying to stop them at every turn the only way to save each other is to bring back a dead god. But he is not the only God who wants to be brought back to life because where there is good there is also evil.
The Anvil of Souls
Will , Myriam and Regin might have stopped the blood god from returning and helped the god of craft to return but they paid a high cost. With so many dead, it is the death of his last remaining family member that hits Will the new forgemaster the hardest.
How can he possibly go on, let alone rebuild and lead the guild? Then Amder informs him, Duncan might not be dead but also not quite alive. With hope that he can save him Will sets out to try, joined by his faithful companions Myriam and Regin they set out to face new dangers and the impossible quest to save Duncan. Amder might be a good but not even he knows what will happen when they travel back to where it all began or how to free Duncan from his torments. The only obvious thing is with everybody having there own plan or hidden agenda then this might be a one way trip.
A City in Blue
With his friends and his god all gone William is left with Myriam the girl who betrayed him. No longer wishing to continue his friendship with her her forges ahead and carves out a new life for himself in a strange new city. But the new God Myriam failed to name isn't finished with either of them and sets out on a deadly rampage of revenge. Everything in the Blue city isn't as peaceful as it seems and Myriam learns first hand about the seeder side, when someone tries to kill her. Can the pair learn to trust each other again? Especially when everybody around them is keeping secrets. They will have too, with the un- named God battering the city walls they will have to use there new found magic, skills and friendship if they hope to survive.
A great way to enjoy three entertaining and exciting adventures and well worth getting
Blood of a fallen God
After the death of his father and mother, William's dream is to complete his father's quest to become a member of the Smithing Guild. No one from his village has ever made it past the first stage but William is a Reis. His bloodline can be traced back all the way to the very last blacksmith that served the God before the epic battle that killed him. The reason for this is because the church are using items from the dead god to gain power and prestige and a Reis has the power to resurrect the God breaking there dominance over everything. William's entry piece is good enough to get him in but with his name stopping him he and the master guilder smuggle him In under a new name. There is one more Reis left alive, his cousin Duncan who while helping him forge his entry piece pays the ultimate price. He gets cut by a sword he finds in the abandoned forge and gets infected by a blood curse, most men are driven mad by the curse but with Duncan's Reis blood running through his veins he fights to battle the thirst for blood in order to help his beloved cousin. The two travel separately and take very different paths, one to join the master guilders and the other to save his cousin from being killed. With enemies and beasts trying to stop them at every turn the only way to save each other is to bring back a dead god. But he is not the only God who wants to be brought back to life because where there is good there is also evil.
The Anvil of Souls
Will , Myriam and Regin might have stopped the blood god from returning and helped the god of craft to return but they paid a high cost. With so many dead, it is the death of his last remaining family member that hits Will the new forgemaster the hardest.
How can he possibly go on, let alone rebuild and lead the guild? Then Amder informs him, Duncan might not be dead but also not quite alive. With hope that he can save him Will sets out to try, joined by his faithful companions Myriam and Regin they set out to face new dangers and the impossible quest to save Duncan. Amder might be a good but not even he knows what will happen when they travel back to where it all began or how to free Duncan from his torments. The only obvious thing is with everybody having there own plan or hidden agenda then this might be a one way trip.
A City in Blue
With his friends and his god all gone William is left with Myriam the girl who betrayed him. No longer wishing to continue his friendship with her her forges ahead and carves out a new life for himself in a strange new city. But the new God Myriam failed to name isn't finished with either of them and sets out on a deadly rampage of revenge. Everything in the Blue city isn't as peaceful as it seems and Myriam learns first hand about the seeder side, when someone tries to kill her. Can the pair learn to trust each other again? Especially when everybody around them is keeping secrets. They will have too, with the un- named God battering the city walls they will have to use there new found magic, skills and friendship if they hope to survive.
A great way to enjoy three entertaining and exciting adventures and well worth getting
April 2, 2023
A Dark and Epic Fantasy with Hits and Misses
The Forgemaster series, written by Joshua C. Cook, is a thrilling and epic fantasy series that takes readers on an unforgettable journey. The series includes three books: Blood of a Fallen God, The Anvil of Souls, and A City in Blue. The series is set in an intriguing world, and the plot moves at a fast pace. The series' primary focus is on William, a simple smith who is tossed into an ancient conflict between gods. The Forgemaster series is a must-read for high fantasy lovers who look for an epic and immersive story.
The first book, Blood of a Fallen God, sets the foundation for the series with its dark and epic story. William and his brother take on the corrupt priesthood and blood cult, and the story is told from multiple perspectives. While some of the ancillary characters could have been developed better, the dialog, main characters, and story are well-written, and the narration in the audiobook is excellent.
The second book, The Anvil of Souls, is not as good as the first. The plot is unfocused, and most of the book is a chronicle of a long journey taken by the central protagonists, William, Myriam, and Regin. The characters were a disappointment in this book as they seemed more dense and oblivious than in the previous book, and William, in particular, was an impotent hero. However, the narration in the audiobook is still excellent, and the story's build-up at the end compensates for some of its flaws.
The third book, A City in Blue, is a vast improvement over its predecessor. The book is a departure from the previous book, exploring a new world while still carrying over some narrative arcs from the previous books. The book's strengths are the new setting, the interesting and fresh magic system, and the split-point-of-view narrative. The primary protagonists, William and Myriam, are much improved in this book, and Myriam, in particular, shines.
Overall, the Forgemaster series is a thrilling and epic fantasy series worth reading. The series has its ups and downs, but the first and third books are well-done and engaging. The series has flaws, but the audiobook's excellent narration compensates for some of the series' weaknesses.
A special thanks to Eric Moore, who provided me with a copy of the audiobook at my request.
The Forgemaster series, written by Joshua C. Cook, is a thrilling and epic fantasy series that takes readers on an unforgettable journey. The series includes three books: Blood of a Fallen God, The Anvil of Souls, and A City in Blue. The series is set in an intriguing world, and the plot moves at a fast pace. The series' primary focus is on William, a simple smith who is tossed into an ancient conflict between gods. The Forgemaster series is a must-read for high fantasy lovers who look for an epic and immersive story.
The first book, Blood of a Fallen God, sets the foundation for the series with its dark and epic story. William and his brother take on the corrupt priesthood and blood cult, and the story is told from multiple perspectives. While some of the ancillary characters could have been developed better, the dialog, main characters, and story are well-written, and the narration in the audiobook is excellent.
The second book, The Anvil of Souls, is not as good as the first. The plot is unfocused, and most of the book is a chronicle of a long journey taken by the central protagonists, William, Myriam, and Regin. The characters were a disappointment in this book as they seemed more dense and oblivious than in the previous book, and William, in particular, was an impotent hero. However, the narration in the audiobook is still excellent, and the story's build-up at the end compensates for some of its flaws.
The third book, A City in Blue, is a vast improvement over its predecessor. The book is a departure from the previous book, exploring a new world while still carrying over some narrative arcs from the previous books. The book's strengths are the new setting, the interesting and fresh magic system, and the split-point-of-view narrative. The primary protagonists, William and Myriam, are much improved in this book, and Myriam, in particular, shines.
Overall, the Forgemaster series is a thrilling and epic fantasy series worth reading. The series has its ups and downs, but the first and third books are well-done and engaging. The series has flaws, but the audiobook's excellent narration compensates for some of the series' weaknesses.
A special thanks to Eric Moore, who provided me with a copy of the audiobook at my request.
July 26, 2022
Worth a read
It’s a fun fantasy story that doesn’t try to be super dark or gritty. You can read without thinking too hard and just take the twists and revelations as they come. The world grows and new powers and such come into the story in a nice way. The world and how gods work is interesting enough and not just another clone (but yes the church is evil just like in every other series). Nothing is truly all good or evil.
The cons:
- Needed a better editor. Many basic grammar errors and a few times the author got idioms/sayings wrong.
- None of the characters are particularly smart, it felt a bit WOT-like where they just made stupid choices or were not very good at figuring things out that drove the story. Which wouldn’t be a problem if it weren’t constantly repeated how smart they were.
- Soft magic system so anything could happen at any time or change anything that was previously established as a rule. You just have to shrug and move on.
It’s a fun fantasy story that doesn’t try to be super dark or gritty. You can read without thinking too hard and just take the twists and revelations as they come. The world grows and new powers and such come into the story in a nice way. The world and how gods work is interesting enough and not just another clone (but yes the church is evil just like in every other series). Nothing is truly all good or evil.
The cons:
- Needed a better editor. Many basic grammar errors and a few times the author got idioms/sayings wrong.
- None of the characters are particularly smart, it felt a bit WOT-like where they just made stupid choices or were not very good at figuring things out that drove the story. Which wouldn’t be a problem if it weren’t constantly repeated how smart they were.
- Soft magic system so anything could happen at any time or change anything that was previously established as a rule. You just have to shrug and move on.
January 2, 2023
Forgemaster Cycle Delivers
Good read; surprises, a different magic system but endearing characters and an evolving plot. I’d recommend this and will to friends
Good read; surprises, a different magic system but endearing characters and an evolving plot. I’d recommend this and will to friends
March 14, 2024
good reading
A good trilogy to read, it took me a little longer to finish. Parts of the story can be long, it’s quite an adventure
A good trilogy to read, it took me a little longer to finish. Parts of the story can be long, it’s quite an adventure
February 1, 2025
Absolutely shocking. And not in a good way either.
How am I supposed to care about a story line and characters and villains that reset 2/3 of the way through? I simply don't
How am I supposed to care about a story line and characters and villains that reset 2/3 of the way through? I simply don't
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews