He controls the world’s magic – now the world wants to control him.
A page-turning debut in the tradition of Laini Taylor, Rachel Caine, and Deborah Harkness, Forged in Blood and Lightning is a sweeping contemporary fantasy infused with a touch of Tolkien. A war between ancient powers is about to begin — fuelled by one warlock’s quest to master his genetic destiny.
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ONLY THOR’S DESCENDANTS GUARD THE NINE REALMS AGAINST DESTRUCTION AND CONTROL THE FLOW OF MAGIC ACROSS YGGDRASIL. THEY ARE THE GATEKEEPERS OF THE LÍFKELDA , PASSING THEIR BURDEN TO EACH GENERATION. Hey, I’m Theo Clemensen, and on my twenty-first birthday, my genetic destiny warped me into the living embodiment of the world’s Magic. Trouble is, my paranoid father and half-Elven uncle never told me I’d become a cosmic syphon for the Nine Realms of existence, or that my survival stands between Life itself and the End of All Things.
Now my hometown of Hellingstead is crawling with vampires and witches desperate to destroy the one thing that threatens us all, and they need my magic to do it. But the Praetoriani are watching my every move. My mother died at their hands and the man responsible is out there somewhere…
…And no supposed destiny is going to stop me avenging her.
--- The Clemensens hide in plain sight in the Praetorinai heartland of Somerset, England. Descended from Vikings – from Thor himself – no other family can rival their magic. But the source of this magic must be hidden from those who wish to initiate Ragnarok and burn the Nine Realms to ash.
Forged in Blood and Lightning is a fantasy swamped in magic and religion, from Asatru to Streghe, to a crumbling old church. Liberated from his gilded prison at last, Theo will travel from the English countryside to the lush Elven homeland, Alfheim, and to the depths of the Underworld where he’ll be forced to strike a bargain for survival. He’ll do whatever it takes to uncover the secrets hidden from him since childhood, even if it means revealing himself to the forces of darkness.
Forged in Blood and Lightning is S.A. Ashdown’s debut that will blow what you thought you knew about the Norse Gods out of the water…
Buy now to discover Nine Realms of magic and adventure.
Content Warning: contains occasional profanities and mild sexual content.
Author Q&A
What inspired you to write Forged in Blood and Lightning?
I’ve loved vampire fiction since my early teens (thanks, Anne Rice!), and anything involving witches and other magical or supernatural creatures before that. I wanted to bring my love of the English countryside, Norse mythology and Italian folk traditions into a contemporary setting. It’s a story for new adults, but young adults and older people will enjoy it too – anyone who’d like to read a new twist on witchcraft and the origins of vampires.
Who’s your favourite character? Ultimately, there’s a reason I chose Theo Clemensen to narrate his story; he’s been hidden away his whole life, and so he’s innocent of the world.