Shadow and Steel (Book Two)(Heirs of the Fallen)

His soul demands a reckoning…

After a grueling year, the Brothers of the Crimson Shield have molded former slave, Leitos Valara, into a deadly warrior. And during that year, the Faceless One’s hordes have relentlessly sought the Brotherhood and their island sanctuary.

And now they have found them.

The brutal attack crushes the Brotherhood. Those who are not slaughtered are chained and loaded onto a slave ship—including Leitos’s father. Vastly outnumbered, Leitos and the remaining Brothers mount a desperate rescue.

With hope fading, Leitos and the others give chase, setting sail into a storm as fierce and unpredictable as their future. Little does Leitos know that destiny has forced him onto a treacherous path of shadow and steel. And the Faceless One is waiting.
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Q & A with James A. West—Shadow and Steel

Question: Shadow and Steel is the third installment in the Heirs of the Fallen series. What is this novel about?

James: Our young hero, Leitos, had to overcome a lot of hardship and uncertainty in order to find out who he is, and what role he plays in the broader struggle between demon-born and humankind. He is no longer a slave-boy, but neither is he the hardened warrior he needs to be. The grueling tests he faces in Shadow and Steel put him on a collision course with the Faceless One, an enemy far closer to him and more terrifying than he could have ever imagined.

Q: Escaping chains, especially unseen chains that bind the soul, is a common theme in this series. Why is that important to you?

JW: Slavery of any kind is appalling, no question there. But I often find myself horrified and saddened by the idea of people voluntarily shackling themselves in trade for some nebulous promise of security. From a historical perspective, all too often the promises prove to be empty, yet the chains remain. More troubling is the idea that the chained willfully convince themselves they have lost nothing. In small part, Heirs of the Fallen focuses on those who have decided they no longer want to be enslaved.

Q: Unlike the previous books in the series, Shadow and Steel ends with all the main characters hanging in the balance. Did you plan for a cliffhanger?

JW: Not really. In the final chapters I saw the writing on the wall, so to speak, and decided that leaving the readers dangling on the edge of the abyss just worked well for this book. More importantly, it forced me to dive right into the next book and get it written as fast as possible.

Reading order:
The God King (book one)
Crown of the Setting Sun (book two)
Shadow and Steel (book three)
Wrath of the Fallen (book four)
Heirs of the Fallen Omnibus

Other series by James A. West: Songs of the Scorpion
Reaper of Sorrows (volume one)
Lady of Regret (volume two)
Queen of the North (May 2014)