No armies march. No generals marshal their troops on some distant battlefield. Yet the people of Entarna are at war. And they are losing. The nightwalkers have returned, creatures that roam the darkness searching for anyone foolish or unfortunate enough to find themselves without light to protect them. And the people of Entarna carry lanterns and torches, wielding them as shields against the night's creatures. But sooner or later all lights fade. All flames go out. Torrik and his wife were once soldiers in the war against the Dark. But when their son Alesh was born, they left that life behind them in the hopes of keeping him safe. But Alesh is no normal child, and Torrik will be forced to learn a hard truth. Mortals plan. Mortals hope. And the gods laugh. Finding themselves in the center of a conspiracy threatening the entire realm, Torrik and his wife must try to become the people they once were, people they'd thought they'd left behind long ago. For when all lights go out...darkness reigns. The Forging of Dawn is the prequel book to The Nightfall Wars.

Fifty years ago, the nightwalkers appeared, creatures of shadow and darkness, thirsting for blood and death. Thousands died and the kingdom of Entarna was brought to its knees. Then the Chosen came, six men and women endowed with powers by Amedan, the God of Fire and Light. The Chosen joined with the kingdom’s armies and together they managed to defeat the night’s creatures. At least for a time. Alesh, servant to Chosen Olliman, the greatest of Amedan’s priests, knows well what the darkness holds. He saw it, as a child, when his father and mother were killed, and he was left with a blackened, festering scar that refuses to heal. The day wanes and the night comes again, but when those chosen to protect the kingdom are unable or unwilling to help, when the fellowships of the past have crumbled, it is left to an orphaned servant—a man many believe to be cursed—to stand against the rising darkness.

Three strangers chosen by the gods. A castle-servant who can bend fire and light to his will. A musician whose song can soothe even the wildest of hearts. And a nobleman with the gods’ own luck. Three strangers gifted with powers beyond that of normal mortals stand against the armies of shadow. But there are other gods, other powers lurking in the darkness, and they too will find their champions. Hunted by mortal and immortal enemies alike, Alesh and his companions flee south to the Ferinan lands. There, they will search for help they desperately need, those who might stand with them against the coming darkness. A nobleman without hope. A musician to whom every song sounds like a funeral dirge. A castle servant at risk of being consumed by an evil greater than any he has faced. They have set themselves against the coming Ever Dark. But shadows are not easily conquered, and no matter how many are cut down, more rise in their place. For the truth of shadows is that they are not born. They are made.

Blades hidden in the dark lose none of their edge Alesh and his friends have evaded the Broken and his warriors, fleeing into tunnels hidden deep in the earth. They travel to Peralest, a city where they hope to find help, to find sanctuary. But when night falls and the shadows caper, hopes are snuffed out as easily as a candle flame. Betrayed and hunted, Alesh and his companions must learn how to use the magic the gods have blessed them with, if they’re to have any chance of survival. But not all magic is good and not all blessings are kind. Kale Leandrian hides away in his castle chambers, disguising himself so others might not see the monster he has become. But no disguise can conceal the unnatural hunger or thirst for violence growing inside him. A hunger that won’t be stayed. A thirst that must be sated. In Valeria, Tesharna’s soldiers comb the streets for any who might threaten her secret desires. She, too, wears a mask, one of confidence and loyalty to Amedan. But beneath that mask, darkness seethes, a darkness even she does not fully comprehend, for the greatest of disguises hide the truth even from those who wear them. Night comes. The Darkness rises, and in its rising no mortal will be safe. In its rising even gods will die. If you enjoy the works of Joe Abercrombie, Brent Weeks, and David Gemmell, then you'll love this grimdark epic fantasy series from bestselling author Jacob Peppers.

The warriors of Darkness approach. The Long Night comes. With the help of his friends, Alesh has defeated Tesharna and taken over the rule of Valeria, bringing the Light back to a city swallowed by Darkness. But some shadows linger, even in the face of the day, and some threats hide in plain sight. Outside Valeria, the Broken gathers an army of murderers and servants of the Darkness whose only desire is death and destruction while Kale, now known as Argush, musters the nightlings and terrorizes the countryside. Faced with squabbling nobles who care only for their own ambitions, threatened by betrayal from within, Alesh begins the impossible task of preparing the city’s defenses. But time is running out—night is coming, one that threatens to snuff out the Light once and for all. The gods themselves cannot help. Javen, the God of Chance, lies dying, the poison of the mysterious God of Shadows coursing through his veins. Amedan is weak from Shira’s betrayal and Deitra, the Goddess of Music and Art, grieves, her song one of pain and regret. But as dire as their situation is, Alesh and his companions will not run—not this time. For the Light does not hide, and its greatest strength lies in being seen—even if being seen makes it vulnerable to a host of shadows who seek only to extinguish it. The shadows lengthen and the Long Night comes. If Valeria is to be saved, if Alesh and his companions are to survive the coming storm, then they will be delivered not by the blessings of gods but by the strength of mortals. The Strength of Mortals is the next, action-filled, character-driven epic fantasy by Jacob Peppers, the bestselling author of the grimdark series, The Seven Virtues. If you enjoy magic, battles, and wars in which the gods themselves must take part, you'll love this sword and sorcery tale.

The Light Fades. The Darkness Comes. Alesh and his companions managed to survive Aldrick’s betrayal, defeating the nightlings and driving them back out of the city, but their troubles are just beginning. For there are other traitors in their midst, hiding in the shadows, and while they should be preparing for the approaching enemy army, Alesh and the others are forced to scour the city in search of them. Meanwhile, Sonya and the Broken flee the enemy encampment, hounded by Argush’s soldiers. But Sonya is just a child, the Broken is wounded, and their hunters are closing in. Yet, the soldiers are not their biggest worry, for night is coming and, with it, creatures of darkness, hungry for blood. As the number of prisoners in the city increases, threatening to overflow the dungeons, Alesh, as its leader, will be forced to make hard decisions. Decisions which will weaken his faith not just in the gods, but in himself. And to make matters worse, as the army gathers outside the city, Alesh will discover that his powers have abandoned him when he needs them most. Valeria, the last light which stands against the coming night, falters. Darkness stretches its talons toward the city and its people, toward Alesh and the other Chosen. Should they fall, the world will fall with them. The final battle for Valeria, for the world has begun.

The shadows lengthen, the light fades, and night comes to the world. Darkness reaches forth its taloned hands, and the shadows dance and caper in anticipation of the long night to come. A night that, should it have its way, will destroy the light and those who serve it, will leave nothing but the cold, empty darkness in which the nightlings roam and feast. It is close now, that night, that darkness. It creeps over the horizon toward the city of Valeria. Toward the world. It is carried in the claws of the nightlings who serve it, in the blades and the hearts of those men and women who, twisted by grief or pain, have come to call it master. They bear that darkness, these mortals, these creatures of the night, toward the city of Valeria and its people, a cruel message borne by cruel couriers and one that can mean only one thing: death. Death for the city and all those in it, death for the world…for the Light. But Alesh and his companions, all those brave defenders of Valeria, will not stand by and allow the world to slip into the shadows without a fight. They will stand against the nightlings, against the Darkness, against even the gods themselves. For what comes, should Alesh and the others be victorious, is not an age of darkness or shadows or even gods. What comes, then, is the Age of Men. The Age of Men is the action-packed, character-driven conclusion to the epic fantasy series, The Nightfall Wars. It is a story of a war between mortals and god alike, a story of magic and creatures out of nightmare who hunt the darkness searching for prey. A tale of a battle where swords and magic meet to determine the fate of the entire world.