Into the Forge

Epic tales abound in Dennis L. McKiernan's wondrous world of Mithgar, but none are as renowned as the War of the Ban. Here, in his most awesome triumph to date, the bestselling author of The Dragonstone at last brings that famous saga to life in all its magic and excitement.

A fell and ancient sorcery has engulfed the kingdoms surrounding the mighty Grimwall mountains, bringing them headlong into battle with forces of great evil. From that, two unlikely heroes emerge whose deeds will be immortalized in song and fable for generations to come.

When Tip and Beau, two Warrows from the village of Twoforks, attempt to save a mortally wounded warrior, they inherit a mission of tremendous importance. Before his dire injuries take him, the dying fighter gives them a simple pewter coin and a cryptic message: "Take the coin east to Agron, and warn all."

But even as these two build a funeral pyre for the dead swordsman, there is danger crowding at their heels. Hordes of Foul Folk have been seen wandering the countryside, burning and plundering as they go, and rumors of war spread like wildfire while elves and men gather in armed bands to defend their settlements.

As Tip and Beau become emmeshed in the escalating violence and intrigue of their homeland, they can only wonder if the strange coin they now hold has something to do with it all. Only the completion of their quest will tell. And so eastward the two heroes go, into foreign lands filled with monsters and magic beyond anything they could imagine – and a terrible war that threatens to undo more than Mithgar...

So begins the Hèl's Crucible duology, during which so many of Mithgar's most celebrated events come to pass. With this marvelous mixing of the grand, the mystical, and the horrifying, Dennis L. McKiernan confirms his standing as one of the premier storytellers of our time.