New Dark-Fantasy Novel A Tale of Scorched Ash and Elm Ignites a Norse-Inspired Saga of Fallen Gods, Lost Queens, and Haunted Loyalty
For fans of A Fate Inked in Blood, The Road of Bones, and The Shadow of the Gods
Independent author H.F. Day announces the launch of A Tale of Scorched Ash and Elm, a brutal, myth-soaked dark fantasy set in a world abandoned by the gods and scarred by war. Drawing on Norse and Icelandic folklore, the novel blends eldritch magic, the fallout of conquest, and unshakable loyalty in a landscape where every touch of magic leaves a scar.
The story unfolds in Leifthasir, a realm where tribes of raiders carve out an existence by the sword. Heroes earn battle fame, and tribes clash with one another as often as their enemies. But when the raiders return from the summer season, they find that ash drifts over burned-out villages, and god-touched relics are now hunted like weapons of mass destruction.
At its heart stand four figures: Anya, the fallen Regent Queen of Alfheim; Gunvald, the steadfast Hammerfel warrior shaped by loss and brotherhood; Balti, a half-elven outcast driven by a restless need for belonging; and Aric, a relentless Wexian leader determined to complete his grandfather’s conquest of Alfheim and carve a legacy of his own.
“I love Norse Myth and the history of Pre-medieval Scandinavia,” says author H.F. Day. “A Tale of Scorched Ash and Elm is set in a world where the gods are complicated, magic is dangerous, and heroes are forged by desperation. The Viking Age is such a complex part of history, and taking a look at the unsensationalized history really inspired me to build the world of Leifthasir. A brutal world, but it creates bonds of friendship and love that can’t be shaken.”
About A Tale of Scorched Ash and Elm
The gods have left the mortal world. Creatures of magic have begun to fade, their magic weakened, and their power lingers like a sickness in the bloodlines they once blessed.
In Alfheim, the elves learned too late that divine favor always comes with a price. The Wexian army from the west came atop a dragon to take the sword of Freyr. They rained down fire upon the hallowed wood, but when their queen, Anya, disappeared to protect the sword, the Wexians thought their prize was lost.
Now rumor and research as led Aric of Wexia, the latest in a line of Wexian Theigns, to Leifthasir in search of the sword of a god that he believes can bring him greater conquest.
Gunvald is drawn into the conflict when he returns from the summer raids to find his home, Hammerfel, destroyed by dragon fire. In a quest for vengeance and searching for the kidnapped seer, Glyrna, Gunvald finds himself drawn into a conflict older than the sagas.
As past and present collide, Anya’s long-buried decisions bleed into Gunvald’s brutal now. Between them lies a choice that could:
- Bind a dying world to the last scraps of divine power,
- Or let it burn free of the gods’ cruelty forever.
In A Tale of Scorched Ash and Elm, there are no chosen ones; only those who survive long enough to be remembered, and those who choose what is worth saving when everything is already on fire.
Readers who enjoyed the grim northlands, monstrous gods, and desperate, human-scale choices of A Fate Inked in Blood, The Road of Bones, and The Shadow of the Gods will find a new obsession in this harsh, mythic world.
Themes & Vibe
A Tale of Scorched Ash and Elm is perfect for readers who love:
- Dark fantasy with Norse/Germanic inspiration
- Fallen gods, cursed relics, and brutal magic systems
- War-scarred lands, invading armies, and political decay
- Quiet, loyal warriors instead of swaggering heroes
- Queens and elves carrying centuries of memory and regret
- Moral grayness, hard choices, and hope that refuses to die
Availability
A Tale of Scorched Ash and Elm will be available in:
- eBook via Amazon Kindle
- Paperback via Amazon and Ingram Sparks
Book Details
- Title: A Tale of Scorched Ash and Elm
- Author: H.F. Day
- World: Leifthasir Saga (Norse-inspired dark fantasy universe)
- Genre: Dark Fantasy
- For Fans Of: A Fate Inked in Blood, The Road of Bones, The Shadow of the Gods
- Themes: Fallen gods, the cost of power, haunted loyalty, memory, and survival
- Format: eBook, Paperback
- Publication Date: December 2, 2025
- ISBN: 979-8274128209
- Page Count: 472 pages