Love demands a vow. War demands a sword. You cannot give your heart to both.

From epic fantasy author Mark Howard, creator of The Griffin Legends series, comes another sweeping tale of courage, sacrifice, faith, and love tested in the fires of war. In the tradition of Tolkien and the great classic fantasy epics, Howard writes stories where honor matters, loyalty is costly, and love is never easy when the world is at war. Love demands a vow. War demands a sword. You cannot give your heart to both.

The crusaders have returned home, but peace has not returned with them. Across the cold Nordslands, enemies gather in silence, old powers stir, and rumors spread of things that walk again after death. Kovdor stands on the brink of another great war, and the men and women who fought to save it are about to be tested again—this time not only on the battlefield, but in their hearts.

When faith is tested, love is threatened, and the dead begin to rise, every vow becomes a sacrifice.

Godfrey is called north to aid a kinsman he barely knows, pulling him away from the lands that need him most and from the woman he is soon to marry. With his wedding to Madeline approaching, he begins to realize that vows are easy to speak in times of peace—but far harder to keep when duty calls you away and danger waits on every road. He has spent his life fighting for honor and kingdom, but now he must decide whether he can be both a warrior and a husband… or if choosing one means losing the other.

Madeline feels her world beginning to shift in ways she cannot control. The magic that once felt like a gift now slips through her fingers when she needs it most. Afraid of what she is becoming—and what she may lose—she turns to Fravash the Bright for answers. But in the Nordslands, light can be as dangerous as darkness, and trust may prove to be the most dangerous risk of all.

As whispers grow of the undead rising in forgotten places, Walaric sets out to uncover the truth behind the growing darkness. What he finds will challenge everything they believe about their enemies, their faith, and the war they thought they had already won.

Friendships will be tested.

Faith will be shaken.

Love will demand sacrifice.

And before the end, each of them must decide what their vows are truly worth. Because in the Nordslands, every vow carries a price… and some are paid in blood.

Perfect for readers who love epic fantasy filled with knights, faith, romance, war, magic, and impossible choices, fans of Tolkien, medieval epics, and character-driven fantasy will be swept into a story of loyalty, sacrifice, and love that must survive in a world that is constantly at war. If you enjoy sweeping fantasy worlds, honorable heroes, strong heroines, slow-burn romance, and stories where every victory comes with a cost, this is a journey you won’t want to miss.