Excellent continuation of the series.
Another great book in the series; I don't understand how these books and this series don't have more ratings and reviews.

In this one we get to see Sarah go up against a sadistic necromancer who loves to play games. We get a peek at troll twin babies. Frick and Frack were definitely a great addition to the world building.

The final battle? Damn. That was a great scene. Specially when the dragons got into it. Loved the book. ( )

This was the third book in the Sarah Beauhall Smithy series and in a lot of ways it was a ton better than the previous two books combined.

It picks up not long after the second book ended. Quidra is still stuck in Anezka's place with a magic dome around it and her keeping the bad spirits. And Sarah's taking on some of her advising duties to Nidhogg the dragon. And Justin, the guy who drove Anezka crazy, is still on the loose and he plays just as big a role in this book.

There's the Black Briar folks too of course, there's still some tension between Jimmy and Katie (who's still going out with Sarah) because Katie thinks her brother keeps too many things secret from her. Stuart and Gunther didn't have as much to do in this book, but when they were on the page I really did like their scenes.

We also got to know a whole lot more about a woman named Trisha. And I do have to say that her storyline threw me for a bit of a loop. It was much more intense in a different than I usually read way. It fit nicely into the story, just took me by surprise.

The only thing that took away from my enjoyment of the book was the fact that it felt a little like the book was treading water. Like all the pieces on the board were being moved around. The action wasn't quite there like in the first two books. And I found I missed it a bit (although at the end we did get a bit of action there). IT was more like a political sort of book than a fantasy action one.

Overall I liked this addition to Sarah Beauhall's world. ( )

Lesbian blacksmith berserker with a magic, dragon-slaying sword! How much more fun can this get, and how often do you get to start a review with a description like that?

J.A. Pitts has created a believable world where magic, dragons and the old gods of Norse mythology exist, if you only know where to look. These action-packed books have become better with each successive one, and I am enjoying watching the characters grow and develop, especially our heroine Sarah, who has turned into a kick-ass dragon-slayer. There are tantalizing hints dropped about Sarah's family in this book, so I'm looking forward to the next installment in this series. ( )

I'm liking this series more & more. Pitts is growing as an author. ( )

Sarah Beauhall: blacksmith, dragon slayer. Makes a nice calling card for a character I've developed a liking for over the three books of this series. The writing in Forged in Fire has tightened up, allowing the author to display growth in his craft, and Sarah to display growth in her own skin/sense of self.

I first learned of this series through Mary Robinette Kowal, and was forewarned that this was really the best of the three books out there in the series. I loved the raw energy of the first book (Black Blade Blues, which just made me smile with the mix of a lesbian blacksmith reforging a sword meant for dragon-slaying, with the story set in Seattle. And the icing on the cake for me in that first book was the notion that dragons in today's world could shape-shift, and one was an investment banker. Perfect. Though I found book two to suffer from middle-book syndrome, this current book, snapped my attention firmly back in place. Characters continue to sharpen and refine. Some story arcs complete, while there is firm evidence that the author likes these characters enough to continue the adventures. Plus, there's humor.

One added bonus for me reading this book was that after my last two reviews, I got a very nice note from the author via GoodReads. (Especially nice, since I was honest that I was less than enamored with book 2). The end result was he took my growls about the evilness of killing off a barista who could pull a good shot the right way. If we ever meet, I'll treat him to a cuppa (or if he's not a coffee drinker, a shot of whatever might be his beverage of choice, caffeinated, malted, or whatever his poison.)

I'm curious to see where this series goes and how a couple of the threads play out. Will keep an eye out for the next book. ( )