Anthony Ryan's Blog

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.

Buy the ebook:  Amazon.com – Amazon.co.uk  –  Barnes & Noble  –  Bookshop.org –  Kobo –  Google Play –  Apple Books

Buy the UK hardcover:  Amazon.co.uk –  Waterstones –  Blackwells – Hive

Buy the US paperback:  Amazon.com –  Barnes & Noble  –  Bookshop.org

Buy the audiobook: Audible.com – Barnes & Noble

Buy special edition hardcovers from Goldsboro Books.

Those new to this series should check out book one A Tide of Black Steel.

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.

The Feeding – my latest post-apocalyptic horror novel – is now available in the US and Canada. 

Buy the ebook: Amazon.com – Amazon.co.uk – Barnes & Noble – Kobo – Apple Books

Buy the paperback: Amazon.com – Amazon.co.uk – Barnes & Noble – Bookshop.org

Buy the audiobook: Audible.com – Barnes & Noble

Buy the audio CD: Barnes & Noble – Bookshop.org

“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. 

Buy it here:  Amazon.com –  Barnes & Noble –  Kobo –  Google Play

And finally, Orbit US are running a Goodreads giveaway for paperbacks of both A Tide of Black Steel and Born of an Iron Storm. Enter here: https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/414664-a-tide-of-black-steel

Born of an Iron Storm will be released worldwide on August 24th. Check out the book page for pre-orders. 

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:

Subterranean Press – Amazon.com – Amazon.co.uk – Barnes & Noble

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.

Those nice folks at Orbit have posted the first two chapters from Born of an Iron Storm on their website for anyone to read. Check out the excerpt here: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/orbit-books/excerpt-born-of-an-iron-storm-by-anthony-ryan/?lens=orbit

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.

For more info and pre-order details, see the Born of an Iron Storm book page.

And finally, a reminder that the epic fantasy signed books giveaway ends tomorrow. 

Click the link to read the rules and enter the giveaway: 
https://kingsumo.com/g/m88ej6m/an-epic-fantasy-giveaway

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. 

Go here to enter the giveaway: https://kingsumo.com/g/m88ej6m/an-epic-fantasy-giveaway

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 authorFoil on boardsDigital edgesDesigned endpapersHead and tail bandsRoyal hardback1st 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:

YouTube: https://youtu.be/vd0g7f4Qo8w?si=E14I54VdEg6Ey3Yt

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/anthony-ryan-writing-sff-horror-heroes-villains-storytelling/id1738653309?i=1000714924056

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/21e4blFi8usEGsSJs2FNr7?si=KNev4Z4JRQKZvY-kzxN5bw

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.

And finally, just a reminder that you have only six days left to enter the Orbit Goodreads giveaway for the US ebook edition of Born of an Iron Storm. Go here to enter: https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/414662-born-of-an-iron-storm

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. This edition is currently only available to previous customers but should be on general sale soon. Check the Goldsboro website for updates. 

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):

https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/414662-born-of-an-iron-storm

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. 

UK Cover

Screenshot

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. 

Pre-order the ebook:  Amazon.com – Amazon.co.uk  –  Barnes & Noble  –  Bookshop.org –  Kobo –  Google Play –  Apple Books

Pre-order the UK hardcover:  Amazon.co.uk –  Waterstones –  Blackwells – Hive: https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Anthony-Ryan/Born-of-an-Iron-Storm/30640211

Pre-order the US paperback:  Amazon.com –  Barnes & Noble  –  Bookshop.org

Pre-order the audiobook: Audible.com – Barnes & Noble 

Here’s the 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.

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.

Where the Feeders are.

Pre-order the UK paperback: Amazon.co.uk – Blackwells – Hive

Pre-order the UK ebook: Amazon.co.uk – Kobo

The Feeding will also be published in the US and Canada on August 12th. Pre-order links are on the book page.  

The signed special hardcover edition of The Infernus Gate – the seventh and final volume in my Seven Swords fantasy novella series – is now available for pre-order from Subterranean Press. 
(*Cover illustration by Didier Graffet)

The Infernus Gate will be published in September by Subterranean Press in special edition hardcover and ebook and by Audible in audiobook. I’ll post ebook and audio pre-order links when I have them.

Book description:
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.

When the pre-order goes live, anyone who orders the lettered and numbered edition will be entered in a draw to win the original frontis illustration drawn by yours truly. 

Those new to this series should check out volume one – A Pilgrimage of Swords. Details on the bookpage. 

There’s also a free Seven Swords prequel short story, The Scarlet Ziggurat, you can download from the Subterranean Press website:
https://subterraneanpress.com/tsz-ebook/

The eBook edition of The Pariah – Book One of The Covenant of Steel trilogy – is currently on sale in the US and Canada at $2.99 (usual price $9.99).

‘Before killing a man, I always found it calming to regard the trees…’

Buy the US ebook here*: Amazon.com –  Nook –  Apple Books –  Kobo –  Google Play

*Affiliate links used for Amazon stores. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

For the book description and details on other formats see The Pariah book page.

Check out the other books in the series:

The Martyr

The Traitor