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Stone Cold Blood
Survival demands strength. But what happens when reality turns to stone cold terror?
For readers craving a bleak, character-focused dark fantasy that explores the devastating weight of guilt and psychological torment in the vein of The Darkness That Comes Before, combined with the profound psychological toll and guilt-driven adventure of Aching God.
--
The village wanted them gone. His past won't let him go.
Banished to the terrifying, mist-choked Wildlands, Lawson and his companions fight a brutal war for survival, their parallel journey shadowed by the events of The Great Leap. Lawson is consumed by guilt for a fatal mistake—a shame that shatters his grasp on reality.
As his mind unravels, he is plagued by chilling visions of a grotesque stalker with too many teeth, a predator that follows every step, yet only he can see. Is Lawson succumbing to his family’s history of mental illness, or is the Wildlands using his own mind against him?
Battling the cruel forest and the terrifying possibility of his own unravelling, Lawson must distinguish between inner demons and tangible terrors if they ever want to get out of this place alive.
--
Stone Cold Blood is a gripping dark fantasy tale of guilt, psychological torment, and the desperate fight to maintain sanity. The second book in the Children of Inauron quadrilogy, it explores the crushing weight of past mistakes and the terrifying power of the mind in a world where the unimaginable becomes real.
For readers craving a bleak, character-focused dark fantasy that explores the devastating weight of guilt and psychological torment in the vein of The Darkness That Comes Before, combined with the profound psychological toll and guilt-driven adventure of Aching God.
--
The village wanted them gone. His past won't let him go.
Banished to the terrifying, mist-choked Wildlands, Lawson and his companions fight a brutal war for survival, their parallel journey shadowed by the events of The Great Leap. Lawson is consumed by guilt for a fatal mistake—a shame that shatters his grasp on reality.
As his mind unravels, he is plagued by chilling visions of a grotesque stalker with too many teeth, a predator that follows every step, yet only he can see. Is Lawson succumbing to his family’s history of mental illness, or is the Wildlands using his own mind against him?
Battling the cruel forest and the terrifying possibility of his own unravelling, Lawson must distinguish between inner demons and tangible terrors if they ever want to get out of this place alive.
--
Stone Cold Blood is a gripping dark fantasy tale of guilt, psychological torment, and the desperate fight to maintain sanity. The second book in the Children of Inauron quadrilogy, it explores the crushing weight of past mistakes and the terrifying power of the mind in a world where the unimaginable becomes real.
460 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 7, 2025
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2 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
November 22, 2025
Wow, just wow. After reading The Great Leap (book one), I fell in love with Dan’s writing. The mysterious storyline of the second group of teens was so interesting, and the trauma they experienced was brought to life the more I read. The emotional aspect of Lawson and his troubles was very prominent to me, as I have faced similar experiences. The world-building and character progression are great, with a very interesting use of mysterious abilities. The twists and turns toward the end of the book were a chef’s kiss and left me gasping and frustrated that I didn’t see them coming. Even after book two, I cannot wait for more. What a fantastic book.
November 12, 2025
Wow… what can I say about this book. The author perfectly balanced angst, love, betrayal, self doubt, sacrifice and passion. A fantastic sequel to the Great Leap. The writing style is impeccable and the pace of the story keeps you wanting more. I cannot wait to see where this story goes next. A fantastic read! This rivals as the best book I’ve read this year.
November 24, 2025
There were many questions I needed answering after the last book, which elevated my anticipation as I started to read this book. As in the previous book, the prologue was titillating and tantalising. Hell, the prose alone in this book sets my taste buds on full alert! Outstandingly penned, in a 'language' I fully comprehend, I just want to sigh in contentment.
We start off the tale before the ill fated fire that devastated more than just the structure it burnt down, it devastated the lives of 10 youngsters, thrown out, exiled from their village. Penny Grove might be a devout town but the people are barely making ends meet, most are starving. Desperate to make ends meet. But they're rigid in their beliefs. Rules are rules, however tough they are to execute. It's a cruel way to enact "justice" but it's preferable to putting the teens down. But even with their religious zealotry, and bias, and intolerance, Council woman Adair opted for exile. Oh I liked her, very much. A character just as shrouded and concealed as the others, her gentle, compassionate streak is visible.
Another set of teens dominate this book, we meet another 4 individuals of the 10, this time Lawson, Wendy, Piper and Stokely, getting to know them intimately, as the author takes us through hoops of alternating emotions. And guilt. And secrets.The recriminations are rife, laying blame on each other for the fire and subsequent exile, these kids are trying to wrap their heads around survival, something they're ill equipped for. Incredibly intensely vivid, the author 'magically' peels the layers of the exilees, delving into their thoughts, their fears, their reasoning. Lawson, my, what a companionate young man, but mysterious. Accusations fly like seeds in the wind, and when we glean who was responsible, we see the protectiveness of Lawson. Mr Hanly captured the relief, the grief, the shame, the secrets, the guilt of these characters succinctly, each stroke of his pen carefully crafting prose like artwork, the fullness, the opulence, coming to life before my eyes. Although all the characters took hold of me, it was Stokely who made my gut hurt. Unwanted, unloved, ridiculed by his own father and brother, he's riddled with confusion and conflicting thoughts. Once more, the author drew a picture of utter despair, I wanted to howl with him and I wanted to hug him at the same time. Exiting, compelling, riveting reading, getting better with every page, more intricate with every page, full of drama, but loads of camaraderie and acceptance.
Wendy, Piper, are both as engaging as the boys, Wendy the logical one, Piper the strange one. Adopted into Wendy's family at the death of her parents, Wendy is ultra protective of Piper. My heavens, the author, so unexpectedly, almost slyly, turned the story from exiled kids, to one of persecution, to one of emerging magic and one of survival. I love the way it crept up on me, unnoticed, until it was and then it was an"oh my goodness gracious" moment. My best when reading is not knowing what's about to happen, not knowing what the outcome will be and not being able to predict. Well.... Mr Dan Hanly got ALL of this down pat! Bringing in the hooded religious zealots in a very timely manner, inserting them at the appropriate moment, was genius. I'd almost forgotten about them, almost.... this is how wrapped up I was in the telling, in the feeling, in the seeing of what was unfolding before me. And the flashbacks interspersed throughout, filled in a lot of the blanks, motivation, action and reaction became clearer and clearer. The author teased me with the dribbles, much like a puzzle, the pieces started coming together. There is far more to the tale than a tree or building burning down, there is far more at stake and as the pennies dropped, my eyes got wider and wider! Geez, when the Brothers of Inauron decended, my heart nearly jumped out my throat! And guess what? There were more shockers! Yes, the author turned it round again! Golly, what these kids had to deal with, so young, so incomprehensible, but oh so gripping, I was fixated, thought it did feel as though I'd been gutted by a knife. And I cried, I really cried.... Then those last few chapters nearly decimated me! And the bombshell the author threw my way? Right to the end! I was gobsmacked by....Well frek! Holy moly frek! And Piper?!? And that encounter with Son 😱....
Church, religion, a dangerous order, growing magic, survival, all converge in this magnificent book, with the added characters of Caroline and Deira, the plot thickens....Thought this book was dark, it was far less gruesome than the previous book yet just as riveting. I really enjoyed how the author wove these characters as individual strands, like different musical instruments, when they come together, it's a masterpiece of allure and seduction in literary pleasure. This author handled the plot, the kids and their... unique abilities... superbly, credibly, their confusion palpable. So, if you're after an impeccably written book, a read that will have you cringing, a read that will evoke the greatest of sympathy, a read where the angst is palpable, a read that will put you firmly in the shoes of these teens, experiencing the trauma alongside them, a read almost impossible to put down, look no further. The author's world building is immaculate, his pacing exemplary, his control of the narrative was OMG awesome, the magic system he introduced, slowly, was a shocker and oh so clever! Beautifully written, exemplary executive and utterly compelling a read! I'll leave you with these very poignant words, "this was where the truest beauty lay; in surviving, in imperfection, in growing wherever you could" And survive they did, grow they did. Change they did... and heck do I need the next book!
We start off the tale before the ill fated fire that devastated more than just the structure it burnt down, it devastated the lives of 10 youngsters, thrown out, exiled from their village. Penny Grove might be a devout town but the people are barely making ends meet, most are starving. Desperate to make ends meet. But they're rigid in their beliefs. Rules are rules, however tough they are to execute. It's a cruel way to enact "justice" but it's preferable to putting the teens down. But even with their religious zealotry, and bias, and intolerance, Council woman Adair opted for exile. Oh I liked her, very much. A character just as shrouded and concealed as the others, her gentle, compassionate streak is visible.
Another set of teens dominate this book, we meet another 4 individuals of the 10, this time Lawson, Wendy, Piper and Stokely, getting to know them intimately, as the author takes us through hoops of alternating emotions. And guilt. And secrets.The recriminations are rife, laying blame on each other for the fire and subsequent exile, these kids are trying to wrap their heads around survival, something they're ill equipped for. Incredibly intensely vivid, the author 'magically' peels the layers of the exilees, delving into their thoughts, their fears, their reasoning. Lawson, my, what a companionate young man, but mysterious. Accusations fly like seeds in the wind, and when we glean who was responsible, we see the protectiveness of Lawson. Mr Hanly captured the relief, the grief, the shame, the secrets, the guilt of these characters succinctly, each stroke of his pen carefully crafting prose like artwork, the fullness, the opulence, coming to life before my eyes. Although all the characters took hold of me, it was Stokely who made my gut hurt. Unwanted, unloved, ridiculed by his own father and brother, he's riddled with confusion and conflicting thoughts. Once more, the author drew a picture of utter despair, I wanted to howl with him and I wanted to hug him at the same time. Exiting, compelling, riveting reading, getting better with every page, more intricate with every page, full of drama, but loads of camaraderie and acceptance.
Wendy, Piper, are both as engaging as the boys, Wendy the logical one, Piper the strange one. Adopted into Wendy's family at the death of her parents, Wendy is ultra protective of Piper. My heavens, the author, so unexpectedly, almost slyly, turned the story from exiled kids, to one of persecution, to one of emerging magic and one of survival. I love the way it crept up on me, unnoticed, until it was and then it was an"oh my goodness gracious" moment. My best when reading is not knowing what's about to happen, not knowing what the outcome will be and not being able to predict. Well.... Mr Dan Hanly got ALL of this down pat! Bringing in the hooded religious zealots in a very timely manner, inserting them at the appropriate moment, was genius. I'd almost forgotten about them, almost.... this is how wrapped up I was in the telling, in the feeling, in the seeing of what was unfolding before me. And the flashbacks interspersed throughout, filled in a lot of the blanks, motivation, action and reaction became clearer and clearer. The author teased me with the dribbles, much like a puzzle, the pieces started coming together. There is far more to the tale than a tree or building burning down, there is far more at stake and as the pennies dropped, my eyes got wider and wider! Geez, when the Brothers of Inauron decended, my heart nearly jumped out my throat! And guess what? There were more shockers! Yes, the author turned it round again! Golly, what these kids had to deal with, so young, so incomprehensible, but oh so gripping, I was fixated, thought it did feel as though I'd been gutted by a knife. And I cried, I really cried.... Then those last few chapters nearly decimated me! And the bombshell the author threw my way? Right to the end! I was gobsmacked by....Well frek! Holy moly frek! And Piper?!? And that encounter with Son 😱....
Church, religion, a dangerous order, growing magic, survival, all converge in this magnificent book, with the added characters of Caroline and Deira, the plot thickens....Thought this book was dark, it was far less gruesome than the previous book yet just as riveting. I really enjoyed how the author wove these characters as individual strands, like different musical instruments, when they come together, it's a masterpiece of allure and seduction in literary pleasure. This author handled the plot, the kids and their... unique abilities... superbly, credibly, their confusion palpable. So, if you're after an impeccably written book, a read that will have you cringing, a read that will evoke the greatest of sympathy, a read where the angst is palpable, a read that will put you firmly in the shoes of these teens, experiencing the trauma alongside them, a read almost impossible to put down, look no further. The author's world building is immaculate, his pacing exemplary, his control of the narrative was OMG awesome, the magic system he introduced, slowly, was a shocker and oh so clever! Beautifully written, exemplary executive and utterly compelling a read! I'll leave you with these very poignant words, "this was where the truest beauty lay; in surviving, in imperfection, in growing wherever you could" And survive they did, grow they did. Change they did... and heck do I need the next book!
December 14, 2025
A fantastic sequel to The Great Leap. I picked this up immediately after finishing that, and now have to wait patiently for the next book! Looking forward to it ;)
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews