I would like to thank NetGalley and Orbit for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Unfortunately this is just not for me. I enjoyed Ruhlin's POV a lot, but as for the rest of this i'm simply not finding the storytelling compelling enough to continue. I might pick this up again at a later date, but for now i'm going to put this aside because i'm having a very hard time connecting to the narrative style. I enjoyed The Pariah a lot, but unfortunately i think this new series might just not be for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a very interesting Norse inspired epic fantasy with multiple points of view and great characters. I really enjoyed this epic journey and the way in which the story lines all came together. I am looking forward to seeing where this tale goes in the next installment.

I gave this book the ol’ college try, but ultimately, it just wasn’t for me. There’s nothing wrong with it—it simply didn’t hold my interest, and I found myself putting it down about a third of the way through… several months ago. At this point, I think it’s only fair to acknowledge that I’m not going to finish it.

Thank you to the publisher for the e-ARC, and I wish the author all the success with this book!

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the early read. Holy shit, this was my first Anthony Ryan novel....I can't wait to continue this storyline!!

Stars: 4.5 out of 5

This is epic fantasy at its best - dark, gripping, with compelling characters facing hard challenges.

I love stories based on Nordic and Viking settings, but I read a few disappointing ones as well. Crafting a compelling world based on an existing mythology requires a lot of research and respect for the original setting. I bounced off a few books that did this poorly. Thankfully, Anthony Ryan managed to take the Nordic elements that we know and love and make them his own. The result is a living, breathing world with different nations that feel different in culture, religion, and worldviews. I had fun discovering the different corners of this world along with our protagonists.

I also grew to really care about all four of the narrators we follow in this book. Each of them is different, with a distinct personality, flaws, dreams, and fears. They felt alive and complex. Not always good and righteous, but I could empathize with all of them. And since I grew to care for them, I was also invested in their fates. Whether it was Thera trying to do her duty to the Sister Queens, or her brother Felnir chasing an impossible errand in the hopes of regaining lost honor, or Ruhlin, who has to fight other prisoners to survive, but also fight with the beast within him to keep his humanity.

As far as the story goes, this is the first book in the series, so it serves more to set up the stage than give us any kind of resolutions, but from what I see, the story will be brutal, because the enemy is ruthless and relentless, and the only goal they have is to subjugate and destroy. It is rather fascinating to see how two nations that started believing in the same gods and having a similar culture could turn out so different.

My only issue with the story is that I find it hard to believe that the enemy has so many spies everywhere. This points towards a campaign that was years in the making, because some of those spies ended up in very high places, so they must have been sent to infiltrate all the power structures in the target countries at least a decade or two before the events of this book. Yet nothing that we have seen from Ruhlin's point of view indicates an authority structure capable of such advanced planning. Granted, he has only seen gladiator arenas and slave pens (and people who run those), so his experience is not all-encompassing.

I am definitely looking forward to picking up book 2 and learning more about this world. I also very much hope that our four protagonists will be okay, even if we left several of them in rather dire straits at the end of book 1.

PS: I received an advanced copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC.

Anthony Ryan has been an auto buy author for me since I read his Covenant of Steel series. When I found out about A Ride of Black Steel which is steeped in Norse culture, I just had to have it. I enjoyed the book but I did find the beginning to be a bit slow and even boring at some point. However, the second half of the book is much better pacing wise and, as always, Ryan's action scenes are on point. Not my favorite book by him but still a good read.

This was a solid beginning to a new fantasy series! I like Nordic inspired fantasy a lot and I think others will enjoy this as well. This wasn’t exactly my cup of tea but I am still interested in reading some of the other titles in the author’s backlist.

Thanks to Orbit Books and Netgalley for the ARC.

I became a big fan of Anthony's after reading the Covenant of Steel trilogy and so was excited when another series set in that world came along. A Tide of Black Steel takes place a number of years after the events of the first trilogy and in the islands of the north in Ascarlia. There's a whole new cast of characters although there are connections to characters from the CoS series. While you can start with this series, there are some definite spoilers in the back half of this book, so if you are planning on reading it, I would suggest starting with that series first. Tide is a solid start to this new series with an excellent cast of characters who find themselves drawn into political intrigue and thrown into seriously dangerous situations that bring out some unexpected abilities. This is a multi-POV story, and it is a large cast of characters which can feel a bit daunting at times, and I think having the map at hand is very helpful as the different storylines are going from island to island. The lore of the islands is wonderfully woven into the story and there are some excellent battle scenes as well. I very much liked Felnir, Wohtin and Lynnea and am excited to see where the tale will be taking us in the next book!!

The story maintains Ryan’s sharp character development and gritty world-building, pulling you into a gritty, morally complex adventure. The pacing is tight, and the stakes feel real, though at times the plot gets a bit predictable.

Overall, it’s a compelling read with enough twists to keep you engaged, earning it a well deserved 4 stars. A recommended pick for fans of dark fantasy and Ryan’s gritty style.

It took me entirely too long to finish this book. There are four POV characters, but I kept getting bogged down in Ruhlen's POV. I'm just not as interested in a berserker character and his chapters felt longer.

But Thera's POV and Fenrir's POV...those kept me going and then Elvine...her chapters really sold this story.

A Tide of Black Steel is the first book of the Age of Wrath, the sequel series to the Covenant of Steel series. I only read the first book in Covenant and this series does refer to events in trilogy. I don't consider them spoilers as I will finish Covenant, but if a reader doesn't want to know anything about Covenant or the characters, then they should hold off on Age of Wrath. The story starts out strong with an introduction to the characters and the world and lots of blood and gore (it is a Viking inspired trilogy after all) and there's lots of war and fighting and blood and lore. I'm intrigued by the world and I'm very interested in how these parts are going to fit together. I'm just not enthused with Ruhlen. Maybe he'll grow on me next time.

But that ending...OMG, Ryan freaking just nailed it. I'm definitely going to request an arc of book 2 and hope that Orbit smiles on me.

Thanks to Orbit Books and Netgalley for the arc for review purposes. Sorry it was 8 months late.

4/5 stars.

A Tide of Black Steel starts out slow and doesn't increase in pace until about 70-75% of the way through. By then though the reveals and plot beats continue to come and the ending ended up being really enjoyable. The slow-burn nature meant that we had a lot of time to get to know the various characters, their flaws, their motivations. I was initially worried about this being a true sequel series and me needing to recall details about the Convenant of Steel series, but details need not be remembered. There are allusions to the main characters and a key connection back to that series but nothing critical. I really enjoyed the Norse-Gael inspiration behind the isles setting for this series.

Overall, I'm looking forward to continuing the series and Anthony Ryan continues to be a favourite author.

4.5/5 stars! This is the first book in the Age of Wrath series by one of my favorite fantasy authors Anthony Ryan. This series is set in a Norse world, following siblings Thera and Felnir. As usual, the world-building was superb and getting to see two characters working in different directions lent itself to the suspense across the tale. This is a great read for any high fantasy fans, but especially those with an interest in Norse history.

I thought i already reviewed this maybe I revied under a different book on accidnet... apps well I enjoyed this book alot and will keep reading his work

This is a really fresh and interesting start to a fantasy series. Surprisingly easy to read and follow despite its epic nature.

Anthony Ryan returns to the world of The Covenant of Steel with the first entry kicking off The Age of Wrath series. This world is so richly described and it is wonderful to see more of it painted in. The first series was told from one perspective, that of Alywn Scribe. This book shares alternating chapters with four main characters: rival siblings, Thera of the Blackspear and her brother Felnir Skyrnak, Ruhlin, a fisherman and captured slave with a strange ability, and Elvine, a scholar and heretic.

The land of Ascarlia is ruled by the Sister Queens. Rumors of demons and lost communication with parts of their domain cause them to send Thera to investigate. Felnir is likewise sent on a quest by their great-grandfather, assisted by the scholar Elvine. Ruhlin's capture takes him to the land of the invaders where he is set to do battle in gladiator-style matches.

Splitting the narrative into four viewpoints instead of one means that the story starts off a little more slowly compared to the previous series as you meet the new characters, get to know them, and understand their particular circumstances and quests. Ryan still includes plenty of fantastic action. Once you are immersed in the story and invested in these characters, the pace is much quicker. The storylines begin to move closer and let you in on the threat that they all face. Great characters and plenty of action move the plot forward. This book is a fantastic story in itself and sets up what looks like another thrilling series! I can't wait to see where this goes next!

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher.

I absolutely love Anthony Ryan books, I think he is a very underrated author. This did not disappoint and I look forward to more!

As a Norse mythology fan, I thought this was a great read with many ideas plucked straight from history too. While it does start a little slow in the beginning, around the 35% mark is where things really start to ramp up and they never stop. With the addition of the fantastic character work, that was also present in the Covenant of Steel trilogy, you cannot go wrong with this one!

Ideal for readers who enjoy the gritty, dark, political fantasy with rich world building and complex characters. Anthony Ryan never disappoints! Very much looking forward to book 2.

Anthony Ryan is back with another cracking book one in A Tide of Black Steel–a story about unexpected heroes and villains searching myth for reality as they try to save their nation. As people’s lives fall apart, a new terrible foe appears from beyond the Fire Isles, sweeping in and slaughtering villages while taking a few valuable people and leaving red and burned ruin in their wake. As the kingdom scrambles amongst internal fighting and uncertainty to front a defence to the onslaught, a group of misfits attempt to solve the mysteries of the past to empower the Sister Queens’ future.

Ruhlin is a boy watching his village be slain by marauders. Confronted by death, something changes in him, making him a fearsome killer … and then immediately a slave. Thera is a Vellihir, a justice who travels the realm to do everything from settle feuds to nominate people to inherit titles. After a trying mission, she unexpectedly finds herself with a new, and very odd, charge. Felnir the Redtooth chases an opportunity to change his reputation and alter the course of his life from shame to glory. Partnered with his battle loving brother, life partner, and fiercely loyal crew, he chases the mythical-come-real to redeem himself in the eyes of the Sister Queens. Elvine the scholar, her loyalty to the wrong deity putting her and her mother out of safe home and into danger, is thrown into adventure as the Sister Queens send her on a mission to see into the shadows of the ancient past to find the treasures of a religion she doesn’t believe in.

In A Tide of Black Steel, Anthony Ryan’s norse-styled dark fantasy leans into the supernatural as well as the fantastical, and I really enjoyed Ruhlin’s story of change and chains and enslavement. His spirit to fight for his freedom and that of his fellow captives was one of my favourite parts of this book. Elvine’s story provided a non-combat aspect to what’s essentially a story of battles and fights and desperate flight, with her intelligence helping her stand out from the cast as she took on the kind of Evelyn O’Connel (The Mummy) role in driving the mythology and mystery side of the tale. Thera’s role as a justice I thought was quite cool, and akin to the justices in Richard Swan’s most recent trilogy (The Justice of Kings), and I enjoyed reading her path, working as the kind of gel that brought the threads of the story together and provided the higher level danger scope.

However, Felnir the Redtooth–as a barbarian-style leader with sharp edges and a dark backstory covering up a relatively decent soul–was naturally the POV I gravitated towards the most. The way he communicated with his brother, and his internal perspective on his own actions that landed him in the position of being all but an exile searching desperately for a way back to his former self was something I really enjoyed.

These wonderful characters and story arc complexity matched with Ryan’s ability to build you up to–and deliver–epic moments (including an ending twist that is just chef’s kiss), wonderfully showcases the author’s skills as a fantasy storyteller.

Sprawling in scope, forged with depth of lore and living history, full of betrayals and deaths and twists and epic battles, this book is a slow burn start that delivers gut punches, shouts of glory, jaw dropping moments, and plenty of the stuff grimdark fans love. I really enjoyed the way Ryan brought this home, delivering not only a satisfying book one, but the promise of much, much more in book two. I can’t wait.

Unfortunately I had to DNF this particular book and as such opted to not leave a review anywhere publicly . I have read and enjoyed many other novels by Anthony Ryan this was simply wasn't my cup of tea. The description sounded amazing but very early into the book I found it wasn't drawing me in the way his other works did. I may go back in the future and try this book again. Thank you for the ARC!