Forest of Ruin (Age of Legends Trilogy Book 3)

Twin sisters deal with evil sorcerers and deadly dragons in this final entry in a New York Times–bestselling dark fantasy series.

The world is in chaos. Twin sisters Moira and Ashyn have been torn apart, forced on their own secret missions.

Moira—strong-willed and brave—must confront sorcerer Alvar Kitsune, father of her once-friend Gavril. Meanwhile, soulful, compassionate Ashyn faces an even more terrifying task. She must bring to life a dragon.

The sisters have been forced down separate paths. But the time is coming when they must face the greatest battle of their lives—together.

Praise for Sea of Shadows

“Strong female protagonists make this trilogy opener a standout.” —Kirkus Reviews

“We loved the dark fantasy and smoldering romance in this story of identical twins with very different personalities. A tale of heroes, filled with mythological creatures, valor and self-sacrifice—fans of high fantasies will happily slip into this action-packed and exciting tale.” —Justine Magazine

“A fascinating mythical world filled with danger, monsters, and betrayal at every turn. Fantasy fans will enjoy the complex world.” —School Library Journal

From the Publisher

NYT bestselling author Kelley Armstrong’s goodbye letter to Ashyn and Moria

I call the Age of Legends my wild-card trilogy. High fantasy wasn’t the genre I was writing at the time. It wasn’t even the genre I pictured myself writing long term. It was simply the sort of thing I wanted—rather desperately—to write at that particular time. It was the idea I couldn’t shake, the worlds and the characters that wouldn’t go away.

In career terms, Age of Legends feels like such a short blip. It’s only three books out of more than thirty that I’ve published. I wrote the final installment, Forest of Ruin, two years ago, and I’ve written two standalone YA thrillers since. I recently leafed through Forest of Ruin, looking for a particular scene for an art project, and I had the sense I always do with a finished series, not unlike the sensation I get when I pick up a book I loved. It’s a smile and pleasant memories and perhaps a longing, too, to revisit a world I’ve left. I’m grateful for that feeling. I wouldn’t want to ever end a series and not want to return someday to that world or set of characters. They deserve more of my affection than that.

Writing Age of Legends allowed me to stretch further into world-building than I had before. It also allowed more research than I’d done with my previous YA. Most of all, though, I loved the characters that I brought to life here. While it’s always fun to see readers debate the various love interests, what has thrilled me most has been to see them talk about the main characters, the girls. With Age of Legends, I got to sit back and listen to readers debate their favorite twin. Which one spoke to them more? Hot-headed, action-ready Moria? Or her quieter, more thoughtful twin, Ashyn? Moria got most of the love, as I suspected she would. The “warrior girl” is always a fun character. But Ashyn got her share, more than I thought she might, and I delighted in that—in the readers who “got” what I was doing with her, the quieter hero whose deeds aren’t those that will be written in song.

So, when I say goodbye to Age of Legends, I’m mostly saying goodbye to those two girls. It was a joy to bring them to life, and a joy to watch them develop in ways I hadn’t expected, and even more than that, it was a joy to watch readers embrace them. Ashyn and Moria’s story may have ended after three books, but in my mind, they go on, having the adventure of a lifetime.

Quote Graphics for Forest of Ruin

Character profiles complete with art by Xaviere Daumarie.

Moria of Edgewood

Age: 16

Height: 5-feet 4-inches

Hair: red-gold, almost to waist; forbidden to cut it shorter because it’s believed her hair could be used for dark sorcery; usually worn tied back for ease of movement

Eyes: blue

Caste: Family is merchant, though Keeper is above caste

Title: Keeper of Edgewood

Skills: Has the innate power to banish and fight spirits; proficient at throwing daggers.

Family: Twin sister, Ashyn, and father. Mother died shortly after birth. Bond beast is Daigo, Wildcat of the Immortals.

Homeland: Born in the main region of the empire but parents are from the northern region.

Favorite Bard’s Tale: “Cattja’s Gift”—the story of a woman warrior who led a team of snow dragon riders into battle and defeated a seemingly invincible army of shadow stalkers

Ashyn of Edgewood

Age: 16

Height: 5-feet 4-inches

Hair: red-gold, almost to waist; forbidden to cut it shorter because it’s believed her hair could be used for dark sorcery; usually worn down

Eyes: blue

Caste: Family is merchant, though Seeker is above caste

Title: Seeker of Edgewood

Skills: Has the innate power to soothe spirits; proficient at scholarly pursuits and battle medicine.

Family: Twin sister, Moria, and father. Mother died shortly after birth. Bond beast is Tova, Hound of the Immortals.

Homeland: Born in the main region of the empire but parents are from the northern region.

Favorite Bard’s Tale: “Meliah’s Lament”—the deeply tragic love story of a Northern priestess who abandons her vows for her minstrel lover, only to have him die in a snow storm as he makes his way back to her side.

Gavril Kitsune

Age: 18

Height: 6-feet

Hair: dark, shoulder-length braids

Eyes: green

Caste: Warrior

Clan: Kitsune—the nine tailed fox

Skills: Proficient with blades; rumored to know sorcery

Family: Father was Alvar, the former imperial marshal (leader of the army, second only to the emperor) who was exiled to the Forest of the Dead for treason ten years ago; mother is Kiri.

Homeland: Born in the imperial city, but family is from the Katakana

Favorite Bard’s Tale: Bard’s tales are for children, though if pressed, he’ll admit to recalling a few, but he certainly couldn’t name them.

Ronan

Age: 17

Height: 5-feet 9-inches

Hair: dark brown, loose curls

Eyes: brown

Caste: Unknown, his family were warriors but had their caste stripped generations ago.

Clan: Unknown—Ronan’s father told many stories of which clan they were, but Ronan doesn’t know for sure.

Skills: Secretly trained to use a blade though far from Gavril and Tyrus’s level; grew up as a con artist and thief, skilled at stealth, deception, sleight of hand.

Family: Oldest of four—one brother is dead, Jorn is 10, Aidra is 6; father died as an exile in the Forest of the Dead; mother left after Aidra was born.

Homeland: Born in the imperial city, family originally from the desert region.

Favorite Bard’s Tale: “Zain’s Triumph”—a young rogue secretly joins the army and rises through the ranks to become marshal, whereupon he learns he’s the long-lost heir to the imperial throne.

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B011IMSQJ0
Publisher ‏ : ‎ HarperCollins
Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 5, 2016
Edition ‏ : ‎ Reprint
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 2.6 MB
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 448 pages
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0062071323
Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Grade level ‏ : ‎ 6 – 12
Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ HL710L
Book 3 of 3 ‏ : ‎ Age Of Legends Trilogy
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 12 – 18 years