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A Tide of Black Steel

The Age of Wrath, Book 1

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A Tide of Black Steel

By: Anthony Ryan
Narrated by: Steven Brand
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About this listen

 'Sprawling in scope, forged with depth of lore and living history, full of betrayals and deaths and twists and epic battles' Grimdark Magazine

A NEW AGE HAS DAWNED. AN AGE OF BLOOD AND STEEL.
AN AGE OF WRATH.

The land of Ascarlia, a fabled realm of bloodied steel and epic sagas, has been ruled by the Sister Queens for centuries. No one has dared question their rule.

Until now.

Whispers speak of longships of mysterious tattooed warriors, sailing under the banners of a murderous cult of oath-breakers long thought extinct. A tide of black steel that threatens to vanquish all in its path.

Thera of the Blackspear, favoured servant of the Sister Queens, is ordered to uncover the truth. As Thera sails north, her reviled brother, Felnir, sets out on his own adventure. He hopes to find the Vault of the Altvar - the treasure room of the gods - and win the Sister Queens' favour at his sister's expense.

Both siblings - along with a brilliant young scribe and a prisoner with a terrifying, primal power - will play a part in the coming storm.

The Age of Wrath has begun.

A Tide of Black Steel begins a new blockbuster epic fantasy series from international bestseller Anthony Ryan, whose books have sold more than a million copies worldwide.

Praise for Anthony Ryan

'A gritty, heart-pounding tale of betrayal and bloody vengeance' John Gwynne

'The Pariah is Anthony Ryan at his best. A fast-paced, brutal fantasy novel with larger-than-life characters and a plot full of intrigue and suspense' Grimdark Magazine

'This is Anthony Ryan's best book yet' Michael Fletcher

'Fantastic writing, an amazing world, a plot that won't quit, and an unforgettable character . . . Anthony Ryan is one of the best epic fantasy authors out there' Bookworm Blues

'Gritty and well-drawn, this makes a rich treat for George R. R. Martin fans' Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Books by Anthony Ryan

Raven's Shadow
Blood Song
Tower Lord
Queen of Fire

Raven's Blade
The Wolf's Call
The Black Song

Draconis Memoria
The Waking Fire
The Legion of Flame
The Empire of Ashes

The Covenant of Steel
The Pariah
The Martyr
The Traitor

Writing as A. J. Ryan

Red River Seven©2024 Anthony Ryan Media Limited Epic Fantasy Royalty

Critic reviews

Sprawling in scope, forged with depth of lore and living history, full of betrayals and deaths and twists and epic battles
All stars
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As always Anthony Ryan gave us a great story and I was pleasantly surprised to discover it is somewhat connected to the Covenant of Steel series. I really enjoyed this gritty nordic-style story and can't wait for the next book. Sadly, it will likely be narrated/read by Steven Brand again. The only downside (at least for me) to any of A. Ryan's audiobooks is Mr. Brand's somniferous narration.

epic & gritty nordic-style story

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Anthony Ryan always starts off another new series with a bang, I’ve always enjoyed the ride before and still do now.

Like I said I didn’t realize this was a continuation of the previous series but luckily I could vaguely remember what happens and there’s only a mention or two of the previous series. It Picks up decades later on a 'not so forgotten' plot point that vanished in book 2 of Covenant of steel.

Took me a little while to know who was who as there’s a few more POV’s than the usual book but started strong and I’ll keep my eye out for the sequel.

I didn’t realise this was a sequel series to Covenant of Steel

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I am in awe of anyone who can tell a complicated story in a coherent fashion. Doing the same from several different angles is plain amazing. And tying it all together to characters from other tales too? Wow. It is good to see females getting a better shot at the glory this time since so rarely are they noticed in tales of derring-do where Men are Men and women are invisible.

Complex tale from a range of perspectives

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