Beth's Review: Carnifex: A Portent of Blood Legends of the Nameless Dwarf, Volume 1 D. P. Prio
Reviewer Purchase
Publisher: Homunculus
Released: January 15, 2016
Genre: Epic, Dark Fantasy
Length: 311 pages
Format: ebook, paperback, audiobook
Authors Links:
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Buy Links:
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Blurb
For more than a thousand years, the dwarves have hidden away from the world in their ravine city of Arx Gravis. Governed by an inflexible council whose sole aim is to avoid the errors of the past, the defining virtue of their society is that nothing should ever change. But when the Scriptorium is broken into, and Ravine Guard Carnifex Thane sees a homunculus fleeing the scene of the crime, events are set in motion that will ensure nothing will ever be the same again. Deception and death are coming to Arx Gravis. The riddles that preceded Carnifex’s birth crystalize into a horrifying fate that inexorably closes in. But it is in blood that legends are born, and redemption is seeded in the gravest of sins. For Carnifex is destined to become the Ravine Butcher, before even that grim appellation is forever lost, along with everything that once defined him. The long-awaited Nameless Dwarf origins novel, and the start of a brand new series, Legends of the Nameless Dwarf, Carnifex by D.P. Prior is a welcome addition to the sword and sorcery tradition that spawned R.E. Howard, Michael Moorcock, Fritz Lieber, and Lin Carter, and it picks up right where the heroic fantasy of David Gemmell left off. With tight point of view, complex characterization, and an abundance of horror, bloodshed, and the relentless march of an uncaring fate, it also carries the hallmarks of modern day grimdark that readers of Joe Abercrombie and George R.R. Martin are familiar with.
Five Boundless Stars
Fantasy and dwarfs; a combination that can only create pure entertainment! Carnifex: A Portent of Blood was both fun and mysterious. The characters were well developed and the perfect amount of their history was provided just when needed; Also, their personalities were hilarious; they’re back and forth banter was great!!
“Do you know a dwarf named stupid, cause you sound just like him!”
I was provided a free copy of the e-book in exchange for an honest review, but when I saw the $1.99 audio upgrade, I couldn’t resist. I highly recommend the audio version. Paul Woodson did an excellent job of narrating and made the book even more fun!
Overall, I absolutely loved the non-stop entertainment this book provided, and rate it with 5 Boundless stars!