the Ashen Crown Trilogy Hammer and Knife

In the cold, unforgiving north, the walls of Stonefall are the only shield against a rising tide of wolves. But the true enemy may already be inside.Thane Beorn of Stonefall, a leader forged in a hard land, faces an impossible choice. The savage Ironwolf clan, led by the cruel and ambitious Ulfric Ironhand, has amassed an army on his borders. They do not want land; they want annihilation. Stonefall's only hope lies with the Thane's two sons, who could not be more different.Leofric, the eldest, is the Hammer-a golden-haired warrior born for glory and open battle, loved by all. Eadric, the younger, is the Knife-a quiet hunter who thrives in the shadows, his skills unseen and undervalued. When a traitor's whisper gives the enemy the key to their gates, the Thane must forsake his glorious Hammer and place the fate of his kingdom in the hands of the secretive Knife.As a brutal siege pushes the defenders to the brink of starvation and a campaign of psychological torment seeks to break their minds, Eadric must wage a silent war of shadows to save a people who have never understood him. But in this gripping grimdark fantasy, every victory demands a price paid in blood, and the most devastating betrayals come not from the enemy you face, but from the family you fight to protect.this is a ground-breaking tale of medieval realism and strategic warfare, where honor is a fool's luxury and the only thing harder than stone is the will to survive.