A Fortress of Ash and Iron

by Melissa Haines

A Fortress of Ash and Iron is a fiction novel set in the mountain communities of Dragon Falls and Blackwood Hollow, where a woman fleeing captivity crosses paths with a guarded local man just as long-buried danger closes in behind her. The opening chapters introduce Ophelia, who survives a drugged escape from Dane Mercer’s farmhouse with the help of the protective voices within her mind, including Lily, Amelia, Kali, and Star, and who is quickly forced to decide whether to trust a stranger on the border road. The manuscript also reveals the shadowed power of Dane, his control over the hollow, and the network of watchers and fixers around him. With its tense atmosphere, fractured inner narration, and hints of an unusual psychic or layered consciousness, the story blends suspense, survival, and supernatural-leaning conflict. It will appeal to readers drawn to dark small-town settings, high-stakes escapes, trauma recovery, and slowly unfolding danger centered on power, control, and unlikely alliances.