Age of Wrath Books in Order

Age of Wrath is a newer epic fantasy trilogy set in the same broad world as The Covenant of Steel but far to the north, in the saga soaked land of Ascarlia. The realm has long been ruled by the Sister Queens, whose power rests on ancient pacts, fearsome laws, and the weight of tradition.

The first book, A Tide of Black Steel, opens with that seemingly unshakable order under threat. Rumours spread of longships crewed by tattooed warriors, sailing beneath the banners of a murderous cult of oath breakers thought wiped out generations ago. These raiders are more than common pirates; their arrival hints that old enemies and perhaps older powers are moving again.

Thera of the Blackspear, the queens' most trusted agent and enforcer, is sent north to uncover the truth. At the same time her estranged brother Felnir, a charming exile with a talent for trouble, is drawn into a hunt for the Vault of the Altvar, a treasure hoard said to belong to the gods themselves. Two other figures round out the core cast: Elvine, a brilliant young scribe whose quiet heresies put her in constant danger, and Ruhlin, a humble fisherman whose rage awakens a terrifying, barely controlled strength.

As the series progresses into Born of an Iron Storm, the situation worsens. The Sister Queens fall and Ascarlia's capital, Skar Magnol, comes under Nihlvarian occupation. Elvine finds herself working inside a puppet government while secretly fostering resistance. Thera struggles to rally loyalist forces across storm lashed islands, Felnir walks a bloody path toward crowns and crowns broken, and Ruhlin seeks escape from a land ruled by a mysterious tyrant.

The planned final volume, Upon the Forge of Battle, is set to draw these threads back together as war between Ascarlia and Nihlvar reaches a decisive, ruinous climax. The title hints at a world where people, nations, and even gods are tempered and reshaped by conflict, and where the choices of a few can remake the stories entire cultures tell about themselves.

Age of Wrath leans into Norse inspired imagery and themes: longships, sagas, storm driven coasts, and the constant presence of ominous prophecy. At the same time it carries forward Ryan's interest in flawed leaders, political machination, and faith tested by catastrophe. It can be read on its own, but readers familiar with The Covenant of Steel will recognise echoes, contrasts, and hints that history is larger than any one trilogy.