FORGE & FRAY

Herndon’s dark fantasy novel explores a world of political intrigue, ancient mysteries, and dangerous power struggles.

In the fantastical realm of the Elonia Empire, Collin Bright, a 10-year-old orphan, vanishes under mysterious circumstances. His sister Lucy is distraught by his disappearance (“She could not think of much else except her brother”), and after pleading with the city’s council of Seers for financial aid, Mother Superior Margaret, who runs the orphanage housing Collin and Lucy, is able to hire detectives Sara Blackmoore and Darren Footer to take on the case—despite push back from Aden Bashford, the Seer of Wealth. Later, Lucy discovers a hidden passage to the city’s mysterious vaults, where she suspects Collin was taken. Her friend Ezra also joins in trying to find Collin, but he is pulled away when he is adopted by a noble, Adelaide Eldrion, whose family’s mining concern competes with the Bashford family’s business. Meanwhile, detectives Blackmoore and Footer interrogate Firehands and Drigg, two individuals identified as being tied to Collin’s last movements. Through this and other clues, the detectives deduce Collin was specifically targeted because of his potential link to “bloodcrystals”—a rare and potent resource tied to ancient alchemical practices—or for his knowledge of the vaults’ layout. Collin also knows that Blaylock, one of the most notable criminals in the slums, has been using the Vaults to smuggle the bloodcrystals. At the Festival of Lights (“It was to celebrate the ray of colorful light that flooded the night, following the lunar eclipse”), readers learn about Aden’s disappointment in his son Rodrick Bashford, who discovers a journal written by a distant ancestor that contains cryptic symbols and mentions of the bloodcrystals. Motivated by his desire to gain respect from his father, Roderick allows himself to be manipulated by Derkell, a goblin and once-respected figure attempting to regain his position after being deemed a madman, into participating in his dark experiments to harness the crystals’ abilities to heal, control minds, and create near-immortal beings.

Herndon excels at building upon established fantasy elements to create an elaborate and unique world, including maps, political systems, songs, religions, and other lore to immerse the reader in the story. The mystery elements—the investigation by the detectives into Collin Bright’s disappearance and how it could be connected to the bloodcrystals—function as an intriguing hook that makes the narrative more accessible to those who may find the extensive worldbuilding intimidating. It is, in fact, difficult to absorb all of the details, which are often delivered through exposition-heavy passages that hinder the overall pacing. Despite this, the primary characters are all well developed, with their own plot threads and motivations intersecting in unexpected ways. The point of view alternates between the perspectives of Lucy, the detectives, and Rodrick to create a dynamic and layered storytelling approach; each storyline enriches the others. Fans of high fantasy will want to add this book to their collection.

An immersive tale about the cost of ambition and the balance of good and evil in a world on the brink of change.