Thank you Orbit and NetGalley for the arc!

This book was full of intrigue and excitement! It took me a few chapters to get fully into it, due to the multiple POVs and the Nordic names that were very different to me. But once I got used to it, I got very invested in the story. The four different POVs were so different, and the coming together of them was great! This was a dark fantasy filled with magic and savage battles and time spent at sea. The action was non-stop, and the deaths and twists made my jaw drop. I look forward to continuing this trilogy!

A Tide of Black Steel is the first book in what is bound to be an outstanding new epic fantasy trilogy. Set several decades after Ryan's Covenant trilogy, this book follows a whole new set of characters in what I believe is a whole new setting in this world as well. This book takes place in the land of Ascarlia, a land that has been ruled by the Sister Queens for centuries (spoiler, they are not actually blood sisters from what I could tell). Since the start of their rule, no one has dared try to overtake the Sister Queens. Until mysterious tattooed warriors, sailing under banners of a murderous cold of oath breakers thought to be extinct show up and threaten to vanquish all in their path. As more and more people are slaughtered, the kingdom starts to get antsy. Thera is a a favored servant of the Sister Queens and is ordered to uncover what is going on. As she sets off to uncover what is initially thought to be a small rebellion, she ends up discovering a dangerous plot against the kingdom. Meanwhile, her brother Felnir sets out to find the Vault of Altvar in an attempt to win the Sister Queen's favor and improve his reputation. Plus, it does not hurt that in doing so he will likely piss off his sister. With him is Elvine, a scribe who is discovered to be a practicing Covenant, which is illegal. Forced to help Felnir with his quest and uncover the tomb, Elvine will do what she must to stay alive. Finally we follow Ruhlin, a young man stolen from his home and taken prisoner due to a rage boiling beneath his skin that even he knows nothing about.

Now if I am being perfectly honest, I have not read the Covenant Trilogy. So this review will largely be geared towards those who also did not read the Covenant Trilogy or do not remember it. Personally, I do not think you have to read the original trilogy to understand what is going on. I am sure there is helpful information in that first trilogy that might bring clarity to certain actions in this book, but it does not take away from your understanding of what is going on. I think those who did read that initial trilogy will appreciate some of the hints towards that first series. For the character development, there is a part of me that wishes there was more. The characters are all unique and have their own motives, but I wanted to know more about what made them tick. Why do they act the way that they act? What drives them beyond the current plot? I get the feeling that that kind of development will occur gradually throughout the entire trilogy. The plot was great, but it was slow. I thought having four different perspectives was appropriate for the breadth of the story and though it moved slowly at times, I was never bored. The world building was outstanding a did provide for a good overview of what the current situation is and the different intricacies of the world. I am truly excited to see where this series goes, and am making it a goal to read the Covenant Trilogy before book 2 is released. I have so many different questions that I am excited to find out about in the coming books, questions that were not necessary to be answered within the scope of this specific book, but I just simply want to know about. I am rating it 3.5 stars current (rounded to 3 stars because I do not usually do half stars so this is technically a 3) but I do think that my rating of this will likely change and potentially go up after reading the Covenant Trilogy and then rereading this book which will likely provide some clarity about things I would not otherwise know at this point in the book.

Thank you to Orbit, Anthony Ryan, and NetGalley for giving me an eARC of A Tide of Black Steel in exchange for my honest review.

Anthony Ryan sets his latest trilogy with a viking culture set south of the Equator. Thera of the Blackspear is sent by the sister queens to discover why people from the outer regions stopped paying taxes. What she finds is an attack on the kingdom from an unknown people, Nihlvarians, from the North who have sent A Tide of Black Steel (paper from Orbit) to conquer Ascarlia. Her brother Felnir, is sent on a quest to find the Vault of the Altvar which is supposed to have mythical weapons. Finally there is Ruhlin, a boy who can turn into a red Hulk, and who is captured by the Nihlvarians who value him because of their love of gladiatorial fights. Very exciting beginning.

This story grabbed me from chapter 1 and didn't let me go till the ending credits.
I love stories that have blood and grit and sibling rivalry is the icing on the cake.
The characters are rich and wholly realized. No one writes characters to life like Anthony!
The world building is deep and broad. This story is set in the same world, but later timeline, as Covenant. The scope of the two sides of the sibling story really come to life as we watch Felnir and Thera go their separate ways, yet we know they are on a collision course. That tension is killer!
The 4 POVs really intertwined well and the Norse/viking influence is *chefs kiss*

*I was thrilled to win the audiobook from Anthony Ryan and absolutely loved it!
Thank you to #netgalley and #orbitbooks for the ARC. This review is my own opinion.

A Tide of Black Steel is the first book in the new Age of Wrath series by Anthony Ryan. Based in Norse mythology with Vikings type seafaring peoples, I enjoyed the start and set up of what is going to be an epic journey. A Tide of Black Steel is set in the same world as the Covenant of Steel series decades later. I have not read the other series and don’t think you need to in order to enjoy this one, but I’m now interested in checking it out as well.

I enjoyed one of Anthony Ryan’s other series, Raven’s Shadow and so I was eager to see what he would come up with in this new series with a background of Norse lore to it. With the multiple PoVs, we travel through a land ruled by the Three Queens as a new foe from beyond the fire Islands has come to rage war and enslave an entire people.

Ruhlin is a prisoner, stolen from one of the Islands after everyone else was slaughtered. He showed during the invasion what a great fighter he was and how his blood was special. We learn about the people in the lands past the fire Island as he learns what is to be expected of him at an upcoming celebration, where he will be pitted against others in gladiator style fights. As he makes some alliances with some of his fellow prisoners, he will try to find a way to escape their fates.

A scribe, Elvine, taught by her mother will find that she will play a role she never intended when she is brought into one of the Queen’s service. Her knowledge of languages will send her on a treasure hunt of sorts, starting with a map on a crazy man’s back.

It was Martyr Sihlda Doisselle herself who said this of truth: ‘It is as malleable as clay for the faithless, but hard and unyielding as stone for the faithful.’

The two other PoVs come from a siblings Felnir and Thera. One a captain and outcast with a crew built of former criminals and the other is the saint of the Queen of Justice and her right hand. They have an intense sibling rivalry going as each tries to best the other under the machinations of their grandfather. The one other thing that has pitted them against each other all these years just happens to be a woman who chose a life with Felnir over Thera.

What a great adventure. A treasure hunt, a fight against a new foe, a stuggle for survival against all odds. There were so many thing that set this story up for success in my eyes. Characters with some unusual talents, a history that is unveiled slowly and then don’t forget the betrayals that come that will knock your socks off. A Tide of Black Steel was a great set up to what will surely be an epic story. I adored all the characters for different reasons and while some might be a little naive, I think that will change with all the adventures they have seen in this story.

If you have been a fan of Ryan’s writing in the past or you just like epic Viking-esk adventures, there should be something in this book for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the eARC copy of A Tide of Black Steel.

I have not read the series this is a continuation of. And I felt that I might be missing out on some really interesting lore in this world. Otherwise, fantastic all on it's own!

Review copy (eARC) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was on the fence about whether to give this a 4 or a 5, and I went with 4, but I think that's more out of personal preference and not a reflection on book quality.

This is the first novel in "Age of Wrath" series, which I understand is related to his "Covenant of Steel" series. As an aside, Anthony has his own newsletters with tons of giveaways, and comes off as a very nice, genuine guy. Highly recommend you subscribe to it.

In any event, this book is a Norse mythology adventure on the water...which I did not expect to appeal to me, but I enjoyed (which, and I know this will sound crazy, but is a result I expected given what I've heard about Anthony's writing).

If this type of story interests you, you will enjoy this one...just be prepared to handle multiple characters/plotlines. Looking forward to what comes next!

As someone who loves Norse mythology and Vikings, I just had to read this book and I’m glad I did but I did also have some issues. The world building is very expansive and there’s so much going on to keep you entertained. On the other side though, there’s too many characters and I had a hard time distinguishing who was who as none of them really stood out to me. It took me a while to get through this book and i think there’s some pacing issues that were the cause of it feeling extra long at some parts along with the writing style itself. The ending was unexpected, so I’ll probably read the next book but I’m sure I’ll have to reread this one maybe on audio before I continue in the series. I’m sure there’s people who will absolutely love this and I did like it, just not as much as I was hoping to.

Anthony Ryan is one of my favorite writers and his Covenant of Steel series is one of his best. This new series, An Age of Wrath, takes place in the same world but about 20 years later with a mostly new cast - some of whom are connected to the first series. Ryan is an excellent writer and he builds fantastic worlds with unique characters.

This story has four POVs and each chapter follows one of these perspectives. I found all of these interesting and enjoyed each of the storylines tremendously. This is a Viking-esque story with elements of ‘pit-fighting’, long boats and seafaring, another young scribe/scholar, and elements of the various religions of this world.

This is such a fun, dark story that connects well with the previous series and offers great promise for the final two books in the series. This book solidifies my opinion of Anthony Ryan as a writer and as a storyteller. Highly recommended!

#ATideofBlackSteel

Queen sisters have ruled for centuries without any contest and now their rule is under fire.

I always love a good Viking story! I’ve never read Ryan Anthony before and this sounded like the perfect starter. It was full of daring women, battles, magical weapons and questionable men.

The characters had good depth and were very likeable with exciting elements surrounding them. There were prisoner escapes, secrets revealed and many fighting scenes.

Unfortunately, I found the many characters difficult to keep track of until far into the story. I believe this made me miss connecting multiple critical parts resulting in less entertainment. But it ended with a bang that is sure to start book 2 off with a great start. I recommend this to those who love Viking stories and in-depth epic fantasies!

Thank you to Orbit and NetGalley for the copy! This released this eeek do go check it out!

The first in a trilogy that left me wide-eyed at the ending. A multi-POV, Norse-inspired story embroiled in religious and political scheming. It’s full of action, great characters, and just enough humor and wit. Sometimes it’s difficult to care about each character in a multi-POV, but this story did character development really well. While I definitely had my favorites, each plot line had something going for it. The plot itself was also great and had plenty of those moments where a lead comes full-circle.

My only complaint is that while it is difficult to give a reader some of the backstory and lore to a setting, sometimes it did feel forced when character dialogue would explain another’s history to someone who already knew it. It is helpful information, but it would pull me out of the story at times. It truly wasn’t to the detriment of my enjoyment of the book, it was just something I noticed.

Towards the end, as each POV character has their final chapter in the book, I began to fool myself that Ryan was simply setting the reader up for the next book in the series. I had already been researching a release date for book two (the story is that good), and then the last scene slapped me right in the mouth. In a good way! I’ll definitely be looking to get my grubby hands on the next book as soon as possible.

If you liked The Empire of the Wolf trilogy by Richard Swan or anything by John Gwynne, you’ll like this book.

I actually liked this even more than the Pariah.

The Sister Queens have ruled the realm of Ascarlia for centuries unchallenged. Now there are rumors of strife. To see if the rumors are true, they send their faithful servant Thera.

At the same time, her brother Felnir is sent on a separate secret mission. He is accompanied by a scribe sent by Sister Lore.

Both missions seem like wild goose chases, but the Sister Queens have spoken.

I loved this book! I love the Norse aspects. I think I liked this more than the Pariah just because I was more invested in these characters. Every POV is so compelling. Of course I also loved the fact that there were so many bad ass female characters. With so much going on and so many unanswered questions, I need the next one!

I want to enjoy Anthony Ryan so badly. All of his books sound so interesting and right up my alley, but actively reading them is a different story. They come across as dry and I have not been able to care about a single character.

Thank you Orbit and Netgalley for an opportunity to read early in exchange for an honest review. First, I loved the Covenant of Steel trilogy, so when I saw Anthony Ryan was coming out with a new series, I knew it was a must read. We are set in the same universe as the Covenant of Steel, just a few decades later. There's new characters in different points of views which is my favorite way to read. I will definitely continue this series and cannot wait for the next! Thank you

4.25 stars

The book was pretty good. It had a lot of similarities to The Shadow of the Gods by John Gwynne and I loved that book. There were similarities in regards to war bands travelling to places o ships to combat, conquer, gain honour, and glory and it had some characters that possessed abilities which was really cool.

I liked the way the author did the multiple POV’s. Each seemed unique and interesting, Ruhlin was my favourite. They all had their own wants and needs and we get to see them pursue those. However, there were a lot of side characters showing up in each of their perspectives and that made it a little hard to keep track of everyone and to feel connected to them. It also made some scenes happen really quickly and characters would make some decisions that they would normally take more time for.

I had started the author’s first series in this world but did not continue because the book would change locations every time it got interesting. That seemed to happen again in this book and it was a little frustrating but it seemed to fit more for this one because they were travelling on ships everywhere. It was also a bit confusing at times and I wish some parts were explained a bit more. The confusion may be due to only reading the first book from the previous series but I don’t think it’s a requirement to read the first series as it’s not mentioned in the books description at all.

The ending was a little odd and I wish it would have wrapped up the characters individual plots a bit more since it left me feeling like some of the POV’s were unfinished. Overall though, the book was an enjoyable time and I plan to continue with the series to see what happens next. This book also renewed my interest in the original series.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Orbit in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fantastic epic fantasy read with my favorite culture for inspiration: Vikings! We follow several POV through this epic fantasy that weave together into an exciting saga of battles, betrayal, and surprises. I'm hooked on the Age of Wrath and can't wait for the next book!

This book for the start of a series was really good. There was the usual world building and setting up of the story while still providing a good story. The characters were interesting and with some depth I thought. The action and fighting were pretty decent as well. There were quite a few surprises in the story and am wondering where this will take the story later. There is so much more to learn about this world and the enemy that the characters will face. The magic systems are more on the subtle side for the most part I think except for Ruhlin. The world at large is yet to be explored fully but that is probably something that we will discover going forward. Just finished this book so mostly my initial thoughts but there so much that I think that is left to talk about but that is for hopefully people to discover for themselves. So thanks to the author for continuing to write great books and the publishers and netgalley for the chance to read another great book.

4.5 stars for A Tide of Black Steel the first book in a new series, Age of Wrath, by Anthony Ryan. This book is being released tomorrow, September 24, 2024. This trilogy is inspired by norse mythology and is set in the same world as his Covenant of Steel trilogy - just some decades after the events in that series. This book is a new part of that world with a new cast of characters. You can read this book without having read the Covenant of Steel first, but there are some Easter eggs so bear that in mind.

Ryan introduces his cast of characters at the start of the book. I really like that when it is a new series as it helps me as a reference point. Ryan does fantastic character development work and creates really unique characters so you won't always need to refer back but it is helpful in the beginning.

The battle scenes are amazing and very detailed so if battles aren't your thing, you've been forewarned. The world building is incredible, again, fantastic characters, and the story moves along at a good pace. I really enjoyed this book and gave it 4.5 stars. Thank you #netgalley and Orbit Books for my advanced reader copy.

Great book. Great character and story line. Couldn't put it down. Highly recommend and thanks for an eARC and thank netgalley and orbit for this. Highly recommend.

There’s a lot of characters to keep track of and the world feels large and real. Overall, as the start of a series it does work, especially by the end. It was hard going for a while, though, and took a while for things to start to feel like anything was really going anywhere. I am curious about how things work as a whole once this story is complete.

Note: ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.