The Fate of the Fallen - Tor/Forge Blog

Meet the B-Team: Get to Know the Characters of The Shrouds of Prophecy

April 8, 2022May 3, 2024torforge2 Comments

When all the angel-wizards, elven princes, landed gentry, and other properly noble adventure-ly types have peaced out because the world is dying, who is left to save it? In New York Times bestselling author Kel Kade’s genre-bending opens in a new windowThe Shrouds of Prophecy series, we get the B-team: The assholes, thieves, second-bests, cheaters, and mildly insane, who now shoulder the burden of saving the world.

The story that began with opens in a new windowThe Fate of the Fallen about the motliest gang to ever raise a sword or flagon of ale continues in opens in a new windowDestiny of the Dead. When the wealthy have fled and evil gods rear evil heads, the world needs the ne’er-do-well misfits to set it straight.

So! Get ready to meet the B-team.

Meet…

The God of Death is tired of dealing with the living, so he’s decided everyone should die. And he’s found allies. The Berru, an empire of dark mages, has unleashed a terrifying army of monstrous lyksvight upon everyone with a pulse.

While the wealthy and powerful, the kings and queens, abandon the dying world, one group of misfits says no more. Through dogged determination and the ability to bind souls to their dead bodies, Aaslo and his friends fight on.

In the mountains of the far north, another bastion of defense is opened. Cherrí, the avatar of a vengeful fire god, has united the survivors amongst her people and begun her own war on the invaders.

Now, Aaslo and Cherrí must find a way to unite their powers, one divine, the other profane, to throw back the monsters of the Berru, and challenge Death itself.

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Lists / What's New

The Best Horse BFFs in Fantasy

August 29, 2019January 23, 2024torforge9 Comments

By Julia Bergen

There are plenty of good human best friends in fantasy, but some of our favorite friends in fantasy aren’t human beings; they’re horses.

They’re the most utilitarian of fantastical animal friends because they can carry you places, stomp on your enemies, AND provide love and companionship.

Here are a few of the best Horse BFFs in fantasy books, starting with a horse you’ll be meeting this fall in Jenn Lyon’s next A Chorus of Dragons novel:

Arasgon from opens in a new windowThe Name of All Things by Jenn Lyons

opens in a new windowArasgon is a fireblood, which means he’s no normal horse. In the world of A Chorus of Dragons, most lands were ruled by god kings (before they were all dethroned for being the worst). The city of Jorat’s god king was obsessed with horses—perhaps to the detriment of humans (thus the dethroning)—and he bred firebloods. Firebloods look like normal horses, except they’re larger and stronger and as intelligent as a human (sometimes more!). They communicate with their own language, which sounds like normal horse whinnies to anyone who doesn’t speak it.

So Arasgon is super strong and super smart, and also incredibly loyal to his buddy, Janel Theranon. As a full citizen of Jorat (human. level. intelligence), he can pretty much do what he wants, but he stays by her side. He’s with her through thick and thin, from getting thrown out of her castle, to hunting bandits for bounty, to going up against dragons and super powerful wizards. Plus, he’s a saucy bastard and amazing in a joust.

He’s basically just the best.

Shadowfax from The Lord of the Rings series by J. R. R. Tolkien

No fantasy horse list is complete without Shadowfax; the OG fantasy horse from whom all other fantasy horses derive. This horse is described as just the greatest damn horse there ever was. Smart, fast, understands humans (and wizards)⁠—basically in a class all of his own. Sometimes he saves the day just by being fast, and sometimes just because he’s getting the OP angel-wizard to where he can be most effective.

But Shadowfax isn’t just a great horse, he’s a great friend too. He won’t let anyone but Gandalf ride him, though he makes exceptions when Gandalf’s other friends need to ride tandem, because Shadowfax is just that kind of friend.

Binky from the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett

No good horse friendship can last forever. OR CAN IT?! When the horse is BFFs with death, time is not an issue. Sure, Binky is a normal, mortal horse (if way smarter than a normal horse) but as long as he works for death he doesn’t age. BECAUSE FRIENDSHIP LASTS FOREVER. Binky may seem an odd name for such an important horse, but you just don’t question Death on such things. Before finding Binky, Death tried more frightening, more magical horses, but none were a good fit. Because being a fantasy horse BFF isn’t about having magical equine powers, it’s about loyalty. Although, it certainly doesn’t hurt when they do have magical powers. Plus, since Binky is able to use his connection to Death to TIME-TRAVEL, it’s safe to say not having magical powers of his own doesn’t slow him down.

Bela from The Wheel of Times series by Robert Jordan

Like Binky, Bela is just a normal horse, although unlike Binky she doesn’t get supernatural abilities from her rider. Unlike most of the other horses on this list, she’s not particularly known for her speed, and she isn’t super picky about who rides her. Egwene usually rides her, but other people ride her too, and she’s fine with it. Because Bela isn’t just a great horse friend to one person; she is a great horse friend to everyone.

If you were a character in The Wheel of Time, you could ride Bela, and she would love you so much. Even though she may not be all that smart or fast, she is a super sweet horse, and when she’s compared to other horses, it’s that they aren’t as gentle as she is. So, if you were to pick a horse friend from this list, we couldn’t blame you for picking a badass horse like Arasgon or Shadowfax, but take a minute to think about Bela, because when you’re speeding away from the forces of darkness sometimes you want a friendly horse who just wants to be your pal.

Maybe you’re reading through this list thinking, “these horses sound great and all, but they’re too goody-goody for me.” We got you. You’re looking for a horse friend of the It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia variety. THIS DOES NOT MEAN THERE’S NO FANTASY HORSE BFF FOR YOU! This Fall, Tor has the dirtbag horse BFF of your dreams!

Dolt from opens in a new windowFate of the Fallen by Kel Kade

opens in a new windowAs the name might suggest, you could never refer to Dolt as a noble steed. But what he lacks in magical abilities, intelligence, speed, or general companionship, he makes up for in attitude. He doesn’t take flak from anyone, not chosen ones, not sorcerers, and definitely not other horses. Bring him to a beautiful fantasy city, he’ll make a mess in the fountain. He keeps things interesting though and has a knack for being in the right place at the wrong time.

Maybe it sounds like I’m not exactly selling him right now, but not everyone wants a horse BFF that plays by the rules and never lets its supernaturally shiny coat get dirty. No, he’s not the ideal horse BFF for everyone. You might have thought I had a follow up to that, but I don’t. He’s just not for everyone.

Who’s your favorite fantasy horse BFF?

Author Features / Behind the Scenes / Excerpts / Extras

Discover Kel Kade’s Fate of the Fallen

March 6, 2019May 17, 2024torforge11 Comments

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Sometimes you don’t get lofty heroes, angels, kings, and chosen ones. Sometimes you get…Aaslo. What happens when the chosen one fails? You grab a couple of willing miscreants, a grossly incompetent horse, and maybe one or two insane people, and try to save the world anyway.

This fall, Kings Dark Tidings author Kel Kade brings us Fate of the Fallen, the first in her new Shroud of Prophecy series. Check out Kel’s intro to the book, read a short excerpt below, then head over to Tor.com for a closer look at the cover!

Aaslo urged his horse forward. Upon reaching the feature of glistening, blue water, Dolt refused to heed Aaslo’s command to stop and instead hopped over the fountain’s rim to stand beneath the frothy spray. He then proceeded to flick the water with his tail, flinging it several paces in every direction, seemingly delighted by the patrons’ protests. Aaslo tumbled onto the fountain’s ledge as he gracelessly dismounted while scolding the horse. Shouts from the crowd echoed his own, except that they were directed at him. By the time Aaslo had his feet firmly on the ground, two city guards had joined him.

“What do you think you’re doing? Get that horse out of the fountain!” said the first, a brown-haired fellow with a thick mustache and a dimpled chin.

“Oh, you’re in trouble now.”

“Can’t you see that I’m trying?” Aaslo muttered. “The infernal beast does what he wants.”

“Well, he’s your responsibility, and you’ll be paying for any damages. If you don’t get him out of there right now, we’ll have to arrest you for disturbing the peace.”

A crowd started to form, and Aaslo wanted to get away before attracting any more attention. He said, “All right, how about you help me get him out, and then we can both be on with our business.”

The guard drew a baton from his belt and pointed it at Aaslo. “Do I look like a stable hand?”

“Actually, he kind of does.”

“Stable hands are usually bigger,” Aaslo muttered.

The guard stepped forward. “What did you say?”

Dolt snorted, turned his massive head, and nabbed the second guard’s hat from his head. The young man shouted and hastily reached for the cap, but Dolt dodged the attempt with a pleased knicker. The crowd roared with laughter as the young guard toppled into the fountain.

Aaslo turned to the first guard with a heavy sigh, crossed his arms, and said, “Doesn’t matter your position. You’re a man, and a man can choose to make things more difficult, or he can choose to help. In the choosing, he decides what kind of man he wants to be.”

“More sage forester wisdom?” called a familiar voice. Aaslo turned to find the marquess’s party watching the display from atop their mounts. “It seems your horse is up to his usual antics.”

Dolt turned as if he knew they were speaking of him. He abruptly vacated the fountain and plodded over to nip at the tail of his former acquaintance. The other horse was again disquieted by the attention and summarily sent its rider crashing to the ground. The patrons jeered while the marquess’s guard collected himself and hollered epithets. The marquess watched the scene with apathy, but laughter danced in his eyes.

The marquess’s servant tapped two hollow metal shafts together causing them to ring louder than the boisterous crowd. He called over the din, “The Most Honorable the Marquess of Dovermyer.”

The crowd hushed, and then everyone was bowing—everyone but Aaslo. He glanced around and suddenly felt awkward to be the only one standing erect in the presence of the marquess. He decided that a belated bow would be even more uncomfortable, so he stood his ground with a scowl.

“You rebel. Still seeking the noose, are you?”

“If it’s not a noose, then it’s a thief,” Aaslo muttered.

“What are you going on about now?” said the marquess. “Has someone robbed you?”

“This city is full of thieves,” Aaslo replied. “But I got back what was taken.”

“And then some.”

“I am pleased to see you standing here well enough, then. I hear tell that some of these thieves can be quite brutal.” The marquess tilted his head to examine Aaslo. “It seems you did not escape unscathed.”

Aaslo brushed his fingers across the sore spot on his split scalp. Although it no longer bled, the injury was bold enough to stand out from his hairline. He said, “I’ll live.”

“Quite so,” said the marquess, “but did the thieves?”

“The noose grows tighter.”

Aaslo said nothing, and the marquess hummed under his breath. Glancing toward his frustrated guardsman, the marquess said, “Perhaps I should hire you to train my guards.”

With Dolt’s reins in hand, Aaslo yanked the horse away from the poor man. “I’m not a soldier. You know that.”

“I’m not sure that I do, Sir Forester. You seem qualified to me.”

Aaslo’s stomach churned with the marquess’s use of the title. A wave of chatter rushed through the crowd of onlookers who suddenly appeared hungry. People were jostled as others pushed forward to see the forester on display, and his personal space began to shrink. Aaslo wished Dolt would dash through the crowd and drag him away. The horse turned to look at him as if to ask if he were serious.

“May I address the Most Honorable the Marquess?” said the city guardsman.

The marquess looked to the man and said, “What is it?”

The guardsman straightened and said, “Shall we arrest this man?”

“I am almost inclined to allow it,” said the marquess.

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