The Hammer and the 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.