RATING: THREE STARS
The unlikely adventurers' continue their journey through the dreamland created by a demented god and Nameless must use all of the powers contained in the Axe of the Dwarf Lords if he is find the last remnants of his people. But even with all of this power, he is helpless to aid his friends when they are scattered by a pack of werewolves. Trapped on a small island with only Ilesa for company, Nameless must defeat a terrifying serpent if he is to escape and find his people; his companions.
For Nils is alone and surrounded by goblins, alone except for an injured scout who knows exactly where the dwarves are . . .
The Good
I'm pleased to say that D. P. Prior is writing in proper sentences again, which makes the book much more fluid and easy to read. This really adds to the excitement and adventure in the book, and it's every bit as action-packed as its predecessors in the Chronicles of the Nameless Dwarf.
Another aspect of the book I liked was Prior's continued development of the protagonists other than Nameless and it's nice to start to see the dwarf's companions really start to come into their own, with their own personalities, issues and motivations. This helps to add depth to a somewhat superficial story and I hope it continues throughout the series future instalments!
The Bad
There are still editorial mistakes dotted throughout the book that I picked up on and, as I've said in previous reviews, Prior heavily overuses the fictional word 'shog' as a profanity. The editorial mistakes are noticeably less frequent than in the other books, which is good, and although the swear word still becomes a bit annoying at times, I think I'm finally beginning to accept its use and it hasn't irked me as much in The Scout & the Serpent as it has previously.
Final Thoughts
Overall, The Scout & the Serpent is a decent book and I enjoyed it as much as I have the others in the series. Prior has kept true to his earlier works and the story is every bit as gristly, faced-paced and exciting. It's a perfect time killer for that short commute or spare few hours!
Sunday 17 April 2016
Tuesday 5 April 2016
The Axe of the Dwarf Lords - D. P. Prior
RATING: THREE STARS
With only his trusty companions at his side: Nils, Silas and Ilesa, the Nameless Dwarf continues his search for the last remnants of his people. His quest takes him deep into the dreamland of a demented god, a strange world that is apt to change and filled with terror. From flesh-eating zombies to an unstoppable horror that destroyed the dwarves of old, Nameless finds his skills with an axe are needed as much as ever if he is to succeed and keep his friends alive.
But the axe he has now is an unremarkable and common weapon, unable to defeat everything that stands in his path. If Nameless is ever going to find the vestige of his people, he needs to forgive himself and concede to magic. He needs to take up the Axe of the Dwarf Lords and accept the power of the Immortals that runs through his veins . . .
The Good
Once again D. P. Prior has produced a fast-paced and exciting story. It's fun to read and is fairly immersing, being filled with fights and humour. Prior has added a new element to this story as well, which he achieves by separating many of the main characters. This provides a few more story arcs to The Axe of the Dwarf Lords so he is able to explore and develop his protagonists more fully.
The Bad
One of the issues I had with book was Prior's sudden aversion to using words like 'the' or 'a' at the start of sentences. I didn't pick up on this in A Dwarf With No Name, so I'm not sure whether it was done less often or if it's a new technique Prior is working with. Either way, it means many of his sentences start in odd places and they don't really flow correctly, with the following quote being a good example: "Whole leg was rot all the way to the knee, which was about as far as he could see from his belly." This didn't really spoil my enjoyment of the story, but it broke the natural flow of my reading and required a bit of thought to get through some paragraphs, not to mention the effort of ignoring my internal editor!
Aside from this, the issues I mentioned in my review of A Dwarf With No Name are still present and I couldn't help but notice the odd spelling or grammatical mistake dotted throughout the book, not to mention the continued overuse of the word 'shog!'
Final Thoughts
Despite a few flaws and problems here and there, The Axe of the Dwarf Lords is a good sequel to its predecessor and I enjoyed it. Prior's writing makes for fun, easy-going fantasy and certainly doesn't lack for excitement!
With only his trusty companions at his side: Nils, Silas and Ilesa, the Nameless Dwarf continues his search for the last remnants of his people. His quest takes him deep into the dreamland of a demented god, a strange world that is apt to change and filled with terror. From flesh-eating zombies to an unstoppable horror that destroyed the dwarves of old, Nameless finds his skills with an axe are needed as much as ever if he is to succeed and keep his friends alive.
But the axe he has now is an unremarkable and common weapon, unable to defeat everything that stands in his path. If Nameless is ever going to find the vestige of his people, he needs to forgive himself and concede to magic. He needs to take up the Axe of the Dwarf Lords and accept the power of the Immortals that runs through his veins . . .
The Good
Once again D. P. Prior has produced a fast-paced and exciting story. It's fun to read and is fairly immersing, being filled with fights and humour. Prior has added a new element to this story as well, which he achieves by separating many of the main characters. This provides a few more story arcs to The Axe of the Dwarf Lords so he is able to explore and develop his protagonists more fully.
The Bad
One of the issues I had with book was Prior's sudden aversion to using words like 'the' or 'a' at the start of sentences. I didn't pick up on this in A Dwarf With No Name, so I'm not sure whether it was done less often or if it's a new technique Prior is working with. Either way, it means many of his sentences start in odd places and they don't really flow correctly, with the following quote being a good example: "Whole leg was rot all the way to the knee, which was about as far as he could see from his belly." This didn't really spoil my enjoyment of the story, but it broke the natural flow of my reading and required a bit of thought to get through some paragraphs, not to mention the effort of ignoring my internal editor!
Aside from this, the issues I mentioned in my review of A Dwarf With No Name are still present and I couldn't help but notice the odd spelling or grammatical mistake dotted throughout the book, not to mention the continued overuse of the word 'shog!'
Final Thoughts
Despite a few flaws and problems here and there, The Axe of the Dwarf Lords is a good sequel to its predecessor and I enjoyed it. Prior's writing makes for fun, easy-going fantasy and certainly doesn't lack for excitement!
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