Discover new books on Goodreads

See if your friends have read any of Rory D. Nelson's books

58 ratings | 1 review | avg rating:4.31

Rory D. Nelson’s Followers (33)

Rory’s Bookshelves

to-read (49)
currently-reading (7)
read (60)
did-not-finish (0)
high-fantasy (1)
non-stop-action-adventure (1)
recommended (2)
written (4)

Rory’s Friends (27)

Sean

1,237 books | 35 friends

Micielle

193,926 books | 1,157 friends

Edward Rathke

2,410 books | 387 friends

Alan

2,233 books | 83 friends

Jennifer Tooker

1,963 books | 120 friends

A.J

2,549 books | 276 friends

Nick Thacker

447 books | 554 friends

Jodi Meadows

1,143 books | 2,462 friends

More friends…

Rory D. Nelson

Goodreads Author

Born

Boise, Idaho, The United States

Website

http://www.rorydnelson.com

Twitter

rorydnelson

Genre

Fantasy, Ebooks, Science Fiction

Influences

author: Stephen King, author: Dean Koontz

Member Since

May 2016

edit data

When I was growing up, I never had aspirations of writing. Even as an adult, I never longed to write the great American novel. I believed I simply didn’t have the patience for it, though I had good writing skills. I worked hard to get into college, but once I was there I did little in the way of furthering my academic career and nothing in terms of building any future career. My greatest achievement in four years in college was successfully building a bong out of a hand held vacuum cleaner.

Like many college dropouts, I bounced aimlessly from job to job. I was a roofer, a fast food fry cook, a framer, a bouncer, cashier, housecleaner and even a would-be actor. Nothing enriched my soul or brought me any closer to happiness. I yearned for some When I was growing up, I never had aspirations of writing. Even as an adult, I never longed to write the great American novel. I believed I simply didn’t have the patience for it, though I had good writing skills. I worked hard to get into college, but once I was there I did little in the way of furthering my academic career and nothing in terms of building any future career. My greatest achievement in four years in college was successfully building a bong out of a hand held vacuum cleaner.

Like many college dropouts, I bounced aimlessly from job to job. I was a roofer, a fast food fry cook, a framer, a bouncer, cashier, housecleaner and even a would-be actor. Nothing enriched my soul or brought me any closer to happiness. I yearned for something more. I just didn’t know what it was.

In 1995, I reached a low point in my life. Fresh out of jail from a recent burglary conviction, I found myself homeless, unable to afford even the basic necessities and was forced to move back home to Idaho. I did regain some self-respect and finally got on my feet and once again became completely self-sufficient; but I was still pretty miserable.

I moved back to LA again in 1996 and after a number of unsavory and unsatisfying pursuits, I moved to Sacramento in 1999 to be with my then girlfriend, whom I later married. Like many couples, the illusion of true love obscured in a cloud of compatibility and chemistry eventually dissipated and reality set in. We divorced amicably enough.

By my late thirties, a relentless story had been steadily gnawing its way into my head in the form of dreams. An elaborate, rich, diverse character haunted me, begging me to give him life. Finally, I did just that. I began to write. The very first book I wrote of the character was not great and it was panned at a couple of writing conferences I attended.

Before I even got to the end of that book, the prequel to this amazing saga began to take on life. I knew I had to write it from the beginning. The story evolved as I wrote and continued to delve deeper into this world. This series is a labor of love and I hope you find the world as enthralling as I do. ...more

Learn more
Ask the Author

To ask Rory D. Nelson questions, please sign up.

Combine Editions
Rory D. Nelson’s books

Average rating: 3.82 · 830 ratings · 230 reviews · 14 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Brotherhood of Merlin (The Brotherhood of Merlin #1) 3.58 avg rating — 227 ratings — published 2016 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Hound of Hell (Renault, Hound of Hell #1) 3.44 avg rating — 178 ratings — published 2019 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Brotherhood of Merlin: Lycenea (The Brotherhood of Merlin #2) 4.29 avg rating — 80 ratings — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Brotherhood of Merlin Boxset (The Brotherhood of Merlin #0.5-3) 3.69 avg rating — 87 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Dawn of the Merlin (The Brotherhood of Merlin #0.5) 3.98 avg rating — 52 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Lustful Sorrows (The Brotherhood of Merlin #4) 4.40 avg rating — 40 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Brotherhood of Merlin: The Test of Ostra (The Brotherhood of Merlin #3) 4.43 avg rating — 37 ratings — published 2019	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Hunt for the Demon Knight (The Hound of Hell #2) 4.22 avg rating — 36 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Hound of Hell: Book Three: : Rise of the Imperionista 4.42 avg rating — 33 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Hound of Hell Boxset(Books 1-3) 3.81 avg rating — 31 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Rory D. Nelson…

0 posts
Rory D. Nelson's Blog

Rory D. Nelson hasn't written any blog posts yet.

Series by Rory D. Nelson

The Brotherhood of Merlin (4 books)
by

Rory D. Nelson (Goodreads Author)

3.87 avg rating — 523 ratings

The Hound of Hell (3 books)
by

Rory D. Nelson (Goodreads Author)

3.69 avg rating — 247 ratings

Rory is Currently Reading

Rory Nelson is currently reading

A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1)

by George R.R. Martin

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Jul 06, 2026 05:27PM

Rory Nelson rated a book it was amazing

The Hound of Hell: Book 7: Sins of The Imperionista

by Rory D Nelson

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Feb 08, 2026 08:05PM

Rory Nelson is currently reading

Immortal Vegas Boxed Set: Books 1-3 Kindle Edition

by Jenn Stark (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Jan 08, 2023 10:08PM

rss
Rory’s Recent Updates

Rory Nelson rated a book did not like it The Savior's Army (The Savior's Series, #3) by Jenna Moreci (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jul 26, 2026 01:54PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Savior's Army by Jenna Moreci. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Savior's Army by Jenna Moreci <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Rory Nelson started reading A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1) by George R.R. Martin	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jul 06, 2026 05:27PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Rory Nelson rated a book it was amazing The Hound of Hell: Book 7: Sins of The Imperionista by Rory D Nelson	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Feb 08, 2026 08:05PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Hound of Hell by Rory D Nelson. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Hound of Hell by Rory D Nelson <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Rory Nelson rated a book it was amazing The Brotherhood of Merlin: Book One by Rory D Nelson	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 21, 2025 11:41AM · like
Rory Nelson rated a book it was amazing The Hound of Hell: Book Four:: Wrath of the Mutineers by Rory D Nelson	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 21, 2025 11:40AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Hound of Hell by Rory D Nelson. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Hound of Hell by Rory D Nelson <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Rory Nelson rated a book it was amazing The Brotherhood of Merlin: Book Four: Lustful Sorrows by Rory D Nelson	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 21, 2025 11:40AM · like
Rory Nelson rated a book it was amazing The Hound of Hell: Book Three:: Rise of the Imperionista by Rory D Nelson	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 21, 2025 11:40AM · like
Rory Nelson has read The Hound of Hell: Book Four:: Wrath of the Mutineers by Rory D Nelson	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 21, 2025 11:40AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Hound of Hell by Rory D Nelson. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Hound of Hell by Rory D Nelson <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Rory Nelson rated a book it was amazing The Hound of Hell: Book 7: Sins of The Imperionista by Rory D Nelson	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 21, 2025 11:40AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Hound of Hell by Rory D Nelson. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Hound of Hell by Rory D Nelson <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Rory Nelson rated a book it was amazing The Hound of Hell: Book Six: A Drink from The Blood of Tyrants (Part 2) by Rory D Nelson	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 21, 2025 11:40AM · like