Rudy had hoped that setting up shop in a new town would quiet his restless spirit, but something inside him still longs for more. He’s a quiet baker with a kind heart, a trusty rolling pin, and an uncanny knack for pastries.
When a hidden portal tucked inside a local pub opens into the dwarven realm of Hybarn, Rudy is pulled from his flour-dusted routine and dropped into a fantastical world filled with dwarves, dragons, and dire wolves.
Before he can make sense of where he is or why, he’s swept up in a mission with a ragtag band of dwarves sent to find a witch deep in the mountains—a witch rumored to possess a lost magic that might be able to send him home.
Leading the expedition is Tarvo, a wounded warrior with more grit than patience, who would rather be back on the battlefield than babysitting a human baker in the wilderness.
But what begins as an inconvenient detour slowly becomes something more: a healing journey shaped by hard-won trust, quiet courage, and the unexpected magic of fresh bread, shared meals, and the bonds we build when we least expect them.
Flour & Forge is perfect for anyone who believes that while a pastry might not save the world, it can help make it a world worth saving.
“The Hobbit meets The Wizard of Oz in this charming, feel-good fantasy adventure.”
Herman Steuernagel is a science fiction and fantasy author exploring worlds of infinite possibilities.
His recent release, The Bartender Between Worlds, briefly touched the Barnes & Noble Top 100.
With inspirations ranging from Star Trek, The Next Generation to The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks and The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan, Herman grew up with a love of story and tales of the fantastical.
Herman currently lives in British Columbia, Canada, When he’s not working on a new book he can be found cycling, running and dreaming up new worlds.