The Black Iron Legacy trilogy (Orbit Books). Cover art by Richard Anderson

Gareth Hanrahan first got my attention with his top-notch work in the RPG industry for Ashen Stars, Trail of Cthulhu, and Traveller. That served him well when he released his breakout debut novel The Gutter Prayer, which was roundly praised. Holly at GrimDark Magazine wrote:

To say that the hype surrounding this book is intense would be an understatement. Anticipation levels have been through the goddamn roof… Briefly, it features three friends, thieves, who get caught up in an ongoing magical battle. Shenanigans abound…. It’s evident that Hanrahan writes role-playing games, because he took all of the best things from RPG’s & made it into something even more mesmerizing within this fantasy epic. The world building is just wondrous.

The second volume in the series. The Shadow Saint, was released in January of last year; Fantasy Inn labeled it “brilliant” and Publishers Weekly called it “epic, surreal… mixes diplomacy, espionage, and religion to excellent effect.” Volume three, The Broken God, arrives this week, and it’s one of the most anticipated fantasy releases of the year in our offices. Here’s the publisher’s description.

The Godswar has come to Guerdon, dividing the city between three occupying powers. A fragile armistice holds back the gods, but other dangerous forces seek to exert their influence. Spar Idgeson, once heir to the brotherhood of thieves has been transformed into the living stone of the new city. But his powers are failing and the criminal dragons of the Ghierdana are circling.

Meanwhile, far across the sea, Carillon Thay — once a thief, a saint, a god killer; now alone and powerless — seeks the mysterious land of Khebesh, desperate to find a cure for Spar. But what hope does she have when even the gods seek vengeance against her?

Some of the gaming products Hanrahan has worked on include:

13th Age: Eyes of the Stone Thief
Ashen Stars: Dead Rock Seven
Ashen Stars: Accretion Disk
Traveller: Alien Module 1: Aslan
Cthulhu Britannica: Folklore
Cthulhu Apocalypse: Slaves of the Mother

Read our coverage of the first two books in the trilogy here.

The Broken God will be published by Orbit on May 18, 2021. It is 624 pages, priced at $17.99 in trade paperback and $9.99 in digital formats. The cover is by Richard Anderson. Read the complete Prologue at the Orbit website.

See all our recent coverage of the best new fantasy here.