I’m delighted to reveal the cover for Upon the Forge of Battle, the third and final volume in the Age of Wrath trilogy.
Many thanks to the design team at Orbit for making this happen. Upon the Forge of Battle will be released in the UK and US on August 25th 2026. No book description yet, but you can pre-order here:
For those unfamiliar with this series, check out The Waking Fire book page for details and where to buy in other formats.
And finally, I’ll be posting the entry form for the annual Xmakkuhfestivus signed book giveaway to my mailing list on December 15th. If you’re not already subscribed, go here to sign up. Prize details to come but expect some special edition hardcovers.
I’m happy to report that my post-apocalyptic horror novel The Feeding is now available in the UK, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa under my pen-name A.J. Ryan.
Book Description:
‘[A] pulse-pounding vampire tale . . . Ryan keeps readers on the edge of their seats. Fans of The Last of Us will be enthralled’ Publishers Weekly
‘A frenetically-paced read that will equally excite and terrify you’ FanfiAddict
Layla has spent her entire life in the Redoubt, one of the last bastions of humanity in a ravaged world. She’s never been beyond the Redoubt’s walls; only Crossers, with their special training and survival skills, are permitted to venture into the shadow-haunted wastelands.
When Layla’s father falls ill, she knows she needs to find a cure. But no such medicine can be found within the Redoubt. Instead, her only chance is to pass a series of gruelling trials to become a Crosser, and then to strike out into the wilderness.
Where the feeders are.
Internationally bestselling fantasy author Anthony Ryan – writing as A. J. Ryan – delivers a nerve-shredding horror novel where humans are no longer top of the food chain.
Born of an Iron Storm – Book Two of The Age of Wrath trilogy- is published today in the US, UK, Canada, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa.
Book description:
Born of An Iron Storm continues the epic tale begun in A Tide of Black Steel; a compelling fantasy saga of bloody retribution, deadly intrigue, and desperate courage
The Sister Queens have fallen and Ascarlia lies naked before the storm. A Nihlvarian plan, years in the making, has seen Ascarlia’s enemy seize the capital Skar Magnol. Now the invaders look to the wealthy port city of Olversahl to complete their conquest.
But there is hope.
Elvine is trapped at the heart of the conspiracy, yet her role in the new government offers the chance to plan resistance from within. She must tread a fine line between loyalty and secret disobedience, knowing the smallest mistake will mean her death.
Meanwhile, Thera has secured the Outer Islands, but her loyalist forces alone cannot liberate Skar Magnol. She must seek allies to have any chance of defeating the Nihlvarian threat. But her greater challenge will be to overcome her own doubts and become the leader she needs to be.
If she fails, Ascarlia will fall.
Meanwhile, far away across the ocean, Felnir embarks on a bloody path towards kingship, whilst to the north, Ruhlin seeks escape from the tyrannical realm of Nihlvar where the mysterious Vortigurn holds sway.
In case you missed it, the ebook edition of A Tide of Black Steel is currently on sale at $2.99 for the month of August in the US and Canada, wherever ebooks are sold.
“Layla is a wonderfully multifaceted heroine… Ryan keeps readers on the edges of their seats. Fans of The Last of Us will be enthralled.” – Publishers Weekly
“A captivating story of survival, pervaded with riveting action made all the more thrilling by the high stakes…” – FanFiAddict
“I Am Legend meets Dying Light 2…What I liked: The author’s ruthlessness – and I shan’t elaborate on that, because of spoilers, but dear lord.”– Happy Goat Horror
With echoes of The Road, The New York Times bestselling author Anthony Ryan’s The Feeding is a brilliant post-apocalyptic novel that finds the sweet spot between commercial, literary, and creepy. Perfect for fans of Justin Cronin, M. R. Carey, and Alexis Henderson.
Fifteen years ago the feeders rose from the shadows to transform the world into a graveyard. The few survivors exist in fortified settlements surrounded by the empty ruins of a destroyed civilization. For years the citizens of New City Redoubt have relied on an elite cadre of Crossers to navigate the feeder infested wasteland between settlements in order to trade for vital supplies. But the Outside is becoming ever more dangerous, and the ranks of the Crossers grow thinner with every crossing.
Layla, only a child when the Feeding destroyed the old world, spends her days scavenging the ruins for valuable scrap and her nights helping her adoptive family eke a living from the Redoubt’s only movie theatre. Now, with her father slowly dying, Layla resolves to join the Crossers to retrieve the medicine that can save him. Smart, ruthless, and fast on her feet, Layla quickly gains the respect of her fellow Crossers. But, in a world lost to the deadliest predators, can even the most cunning prey survive?
The UK edition of The Feeding will be released on October 14th. See the book page for pre-orders.
In further service to the apocalyptic theme, those nice people at the Ginger Nuts of Horror site were kind enough to invite me to write an article on my enduring love for the work of British TV writer Nigel Kneale – a seminal influence on my non-fantasy works. Check it out here: https://gnofhorror.com/a-very-british-terror-the-works-of-nigel-kneale/
In other news, the ebook edition of A Tide of Black Steel – Book One of the Age of Wrath – is on sale at $2.99 in the US throughout August.
Good news everyone, The Infernus Gate is shipping early. Anyone who ordered the special edition hardcover should receive their copies shortly.
The lettered and numbered tray case editions have sold out but copies of the signed special editions are still available from the Subterranean Press website.
The Infernus Gate ebook should also now be available on most retailers, with the exception of Kobo which might take a week to switch from ‘pre-order’ to ‘available’. Buy here:
The audiobook is also yet to go live on Audible. I’ll update the links on the book page when it does.
I’ll be running a mailing list giveaway for signed hardcovers when my author copies arrive. Sign up to the list if you don’t want to miss out.
This is the seventh and final volume in the saga of the Seven Swords. It’s been a long road and I want to thank all of you who stayed with me on the journey. Anyone new to the series should start with A Pilgrimage of Swords. There’s also a prequel short story, The Scarlet Ziggurat, available as a free download from Subterranean Press.
Here’s the blurb for The Infernus Gate:
‘Ryan doesn’t pull any punches in the wholly satisfying conclusion to the Seven Swords series.’ – Publishers Weekly Starred Review.
VALKERIS – MOST ANCIENT OF CITIES AND SEAT OF THE FALLEN EMPIRE THAT ONCE RULED THE VASTNESS OF THE FIVE SEAS. HERE THE INFERNUS GATE WILL RISE AND UNLEASH DESTRUCTION UPON THE WORLD, UNLESS THE BEARERS OF THE DEMON CURSED BLADES CAN STOP IT…
Guyime, undying bearer of the Nameless Blade, leads his band of misfit heroes into the dark, haunted ruins beneath ancient Valkeris. There they must survive the deadly traps set for them by the arch demon Kalthraxis as he races to open the Infernus Gate and set its monstrous legions loose. Love, loyalty, and courage will be tested to the extreme and a terrible price demanded for the world’s salvation. But is Guyime willing to pay it?
The Infernus Gate is the thrilling conclusion to the epic saga of The Seven Swords from the New York Times bestselling author of the Raven’s Shadow and The Covenant of Steel trilogies.
I’m delighted to announce my participation in the upcoming Unbroken anthology. I’ll be contributing an all-new novella alongside what I think you’ll agree is a pretty impressive line up of authors.
The Kickstarter for Unbroken will go live on September 23rd. You can register your interest via the pre-launch page.
My author copies for this one have also arrived so expect another mailing list giveaway in the near future. Be sure to sign up for the list if you want a chance of winning a signed hardcover.
This month I’ve joined with many of my fellow epic fantasists to take part in a signed books giveaway. One lucky winner will receive this stack of signed books which includes a hardcover of The Pariah:
Queen Mother by Jeff Wheeler (deluxe hardcover)
The Shattered King by Charlie N. Holmberg (paperback)
The Book That Wouldn’t Burn by Mark Lawrence (paperback)
The Pariah by Anthony Ryan (hardcover)
The King-Killing Queen by Shawn Speakman (hardcover)
Beasts of Prey by Ayana Gray (paperback)
The Gods Below by Andrea Stewart (paperback)
Chords of Fate by DK Holmberg (paperback)
Depths of Vanalf by Brady Hunsaker (hardcover)
Blood and Empire by James Maxwell (paperback)
Winter’s Fury by AE Rayne (paperback)
The Threadlight Trilogy by Zack Argyle (deluxe hardcover)
A Promised Vengeance by Sara Larson (hardcover)
Two second place winners will receive an ebook of their choice.
To win the first place prize, you must have a USA mailing address. The second place prizes are open internationally but winners must reside in a country accessible via Amazon in order to receive the e-books.
Please note that by submitting an entry you are agreeing to join the mailing lists of all the participating authors. Of course, you are free to unsubscribe at any time.
In more signed book news, the Broken Binding has announced its special edition offering for Born of an Iron Storm, book two of The Age of Wrath. Here’s the list of features:
Signed by the author
Foil on boards
Digital edges
Designed endpapers
Head and tail bands
Royal hardback
1st edition
The book is being offered initially to members of the Broken Binding subscription club. However, it should also go on general sale via the main website soon.
In other news – I recently sat down for an interview with Gary Conroy of the Dark Finds Podcast to talk about such cheery subjects as apocalypses, writing villains, and holocaust denial (there were some lighter moments too, promise). You can watch or listen via the following links:
I’m also pleased to report that The Infernus Gate, seventh and final instalment in my Seven Swords novella series, has received a starred review from Publishers Weekly. Check it out here: https://www.publishersweekly.com/9781645243175
The Infernus Gate will be released in special edition hardcover and ebook by Subterranean Press in September 2025. Pre-orders are on the book page.
I’m delighted to confirm that Goldsboro Books will be offering an exclusive signed and numbered, sprayed edges hardcover of Born of an Iron Storm – Book 2 of The Age of Wrath. Order from the Goldsboro Website.
I’ve received confirmation that The Broken Binding will also be doing a signed edition of this book but the pre-order hasn’t gone live yet. I’ll update when it does.
Also happy to announce that Orbit US is running a Goodreads giveaway for 100 ebooks of Born of an Iron Storm. Click the link to enter (sorry, US entrants only):
As usual, I’ll also be running giveaways for advance review copies and hardcovers via my mailing list in due course. To ensure you don’t miss out on a chance to win, sign up here.
In other news, The Traitor – Book Three of The Covenant of Steel – is currently on sale in ebook in the US at $2.99. Details of where to buy are on the book page.
US Cover
And finally, a reminder that my post-apocalyptic horror novel The Feeding will be released in the US and Canada on August 12th and in the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa on October 14th. See the book page for pre-order details.
I’m delighted to reveal the cover for Born of An Iron Storm – Book Two in the Age of Wrath trilogy. Cover design by Ben Prior. Thanks to everyone at Orbit for their work on this.
Born of An Iron Storm will be released on August 26th.
Born of An Iron Storm continues the epic tale begun in A Tide of Black Steel;a compelling fantasy saga of bloody retribution, deadly intrigue, and desperate courage
The Sister Queens have fallen and Ascarlia lies naked before the storm. A Nihlvarian plan, years in the making, has seen Ascarlia’s enemy seize the capital Skar Magnol. Now the invaders look to the wealthy port city of Olversahl to complete their conquest.
But there is hope.
Elvine is trapped at the heart of the conspiracy, yet her role in the new government offers the chance to plan resistance from within. She must tread a fine line between loyalty and secret disobedience, knowing the smallest mistake will mean her death.
Meanwhile, Thera has secured the Outer Islands, but her loyalist forces alone cannot liberate Skar Magnol. She must seek allies to have any chance of defeating the Nihlvarian threat. But her greater challenge will be to overcome her own doubts and become the leader she needs to be.
If she fails, Ascarlia will fall.
Meanwhile, far away across the ocean, Felnir embarks on a bloody path towards kingship, whilst to the north, Ruhlin seeks escape from the tyrannical realm of Nihlvar where the mysterious Vortigurn holds sway.
I’m delighted to reveal the UK cover for The Feeding, which will be published under my AJ Ryan pseudonym on October 14th, 2025.
Cover design by Charlotte Stroomer. Thanks to all at Orbit UK for making this happened.
Here’s the book description for the UK edition:
Internationally bestselling fantasy author Anthony Ryan – writing as A. J. Ryan – delivers a nerve-shredding horror novel where humans are no longer top of the food chain.
Layla has spent her entire life in the Redoubt, one of the last bastions of humanity in a ravaged world. But now her father has fallen ill, and Layla must find a cure – which means venturing into the wilderness.
