Release date: September 27 2025
Publisher: Indie
Pages: 574
Find it: Goodreads Amazon
Source: The author kindly sent me a copy of this book to review
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
Synopsis
Divine remnants are hoarded, stolen, and killed for.
These items grant powerful magics to those with the strength to wield them.
The war of the gods has passed, leaving Midgard without direction, but vengeance and the battle for control has just begun.
A berserker of the Raven must protect her magical items from those bent on stealing them while a Wolf warrior renounces her clan to pursue the impossible—harnessing the magics of the Dragon. A thief of the Wolf is led astray and will never regain what is taken from him. They protect their own, claim what they can, and rise to power in waves of glory.
But when a mysterious new clan emerges seeking to conquer all, the Ravens and Wolves must safeguard their divine remains or destroy each other.
The resulting war will determine the fate of each clan as they succumb to the hunger of the Dragon and the forbidden runes.
Review
R. M. Schultz is back with a new Norse-inspired fantasy, and I could not put it down.
The story follows rival clans as they attempt to control the remnants of their dead gods. Each seeks glory, but will they be strong enough to claim the power they desire? When a mysterious new clan appears, the Ravens and the Wolves must protect their divine remnants or risk losing everything.
This is my fourth book from R. M. Schultz, and I think it’s my favourite yet. This is an incredibly compelling grimdark tale, and it felt much darker than The Forged and the Fallen series. I absolutely loved the Norse-inspired world, and the level of detail in the worldbuilding was superb. I thought it felt so unique and intricate – very different to other Norse mythology books I’ve read in the past. The magic is really interesting, and I liked seeing the different types of magic the clans could wield. The magic system felt well-developed, and I am looking forward to seeing more of it in book two.
Schultz writes really gripping and compelling battle scenes, and that was especially true in this book. There is plenty of action and more than a few moments that had me on the edge of my seat. The characters are well-crafted, and though I liked all the protagonists, I found Märren’s storyline to be particularly compelling. Overall, this was a brilliant book that I found hard to put down, and if you’re a fan of books like John Gwynne’s Bloodsworn Saga, this is one you definitely don’t want to miss. I cannot wait to see where Schultz takes the story in book two!
Through Fire and Shadow is the second installment in R M Schultz’s The Forged and the Fallen series an epic fantasy series full of action, adventure and dragons. Following on from the events of book one, we follow Cyran, Sirra, Jaslin and Pravon as the kingdoms are gearing up for war. Will Belvenguard or Murgare be victorious and at what cost to the people who live there?
The Bibliophile Chronicles 