The Brotherhood of Dwarves

The Brotherhood of Dwarves #1

by D.A. Adams

The dwarven saga begins... Roskin, heir to the throne of a remote, peaceful kingdom of dwarves, craves excitement and adventure. Outside his own kingdom, in search of fortune and glory, he finds a much different world, one divided by racial strife and overrun by war. The orcs to the south want to conquer all dwarves and sell them as slaves. The humans to the east want to control the world's resources. Caught in the middle, Roskin finds himself chased by slave traders and soldiers alike as he discovers that friendship is the best fortune of all. Just when he thinks he has triumphed, an act of betrayal sends him into bondage. His only hope of escape is the faltering courage of a disgraced warrior whose best days are behind him...

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction

166 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 28, 2005

About the author

D.A. Adams is the author of the Brotherhood of Dwarves series and the Sam Skeen saga. He received a Master of Arts in Writing from the University of Memphis in 1999 and taught college English for 16 years. He is the father to two amazing sons and resides in East Tennessee.

Reviews

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author D. A. Adams has a sure and convincing touch with his world-building, creating a fully-formed fantasy earth for his dwarves and other creatures, complete with history, politics and hope for the future, and he makes me want to read it—no mean feat as I’m usually not keen on overly detailed backstory. I’m not sure how he does it—I wish I knew—but this backstory feeds seamlessly into the coming-of-age tale of a young royal dwarf looking for a magical artifact, or possibly his half-elven roots, or just the truth of his own strengths and weaknesses. I want to know the background because the foreground is so complete and so intriguing. I want to know why and where they are, whose betrayal led to which fractured loyalty, and more. And I want to follow these intriguingly flawed characters, watching them learn and grow.

There’s all the fun of a well-designed game of dungeons and dragons, all the thrills of the quest, all the intrigue of politics and history, and a pleasing recognition of two-sided conflict—no simplistic black and white answers, but rather a landscape where characters and ideas can change and grow. Maybe that’s why I liked the backstories, because they give depth to that landscape, and the characters are truly growing.

If you love intricate world-building, I’m sure you’ll enjoy this book. If you like action and adventure, swords and arrows and more, you'll love it too. And if you’re eager to see those working-class dwarves take a stand, this has to be the series for you. It's even got great illustrations that really do complement the story!



Disclosure: I got this ebook on a deal and saved it for a thoroughly enjoyable rainy day’s read.

[Charlton · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the Brotherhood of Dwarves D.A.Adams has created more than just great friends.The landscape is very appealling and then there is some that is purposefully not.The book is a good read and I think others will enjoy it to.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was provided the first in the series, Brotherhood of Dwarves for review.The newest Dark and Light being the fourth in the fantasy, action, adventure series.

Brotherhood of Dwarves is a foundation to what I am sure will be an exciting series. I am sorry I didn’t get to it sooner.

I was quite pleased with the adventure I was taken on. Roskin is a great character. Strong, capable but young and naive. When he heads off on an adventure of his own with ideas of fortune in his head he comes into more than he bargained for. Roskin meets a variety of characters who are part of the reason this story is so enjoyable. Human, dwarves and orcs. When betrayed Roskin ends up in a place worse than he had ever imagined. These strong character moments shine. Roskin becomes a character one cares for and one you must know more about. It’s why I want to read the other books in the series. Good to know the forth is already available.

The book has flaws however information overloads are dry and not well presented. Interesting yes but when reading fantasy I’m not sure if a history lesson particularly one so detailed is necessary. This improves greatly the more into the book you go so while hard to get through at times is worth doing. In addition to this Roskin is quite bothered by an act that seamed quite reasonable and justified later in the book however he does the same thing but in a less than savoury way. Why is he so bothered only to not be as so down the road?

This story of self discovery is a fine read and I very much appreciate that the character focus is on dwarves. No cookie cutter, young, perfect characters. Real, genuine and unique. I recommend Brotherhood and look forward myself to the rest of the series.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a first book in a series which means at the beginning of the story you get more information than usual.
So be patient because the real story starts with the second chapter.
I promise you fast and fun read including character development and action.

Did I mention that this is a bookstarring dwarves? If you like dwarves you will like the book.

[Lorewarden]

I enjoyed this quick read about a young dwarf heir to the throne, the places he visits, and the characters he meets. The story was a bit rough around the edges, and the prose was sometimes without polish, but I'm not going to hold that against an author who has a story about dwarves he needs to tell so badly that he publishes it himself. I liked the story and look forward to seeing what happens to the characters in future novels.

[Kayla West · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Brotherhood of Dwarves by D.A. Adams immediately gained my interest because it is a fantasy novel. I love fantasy (almost to the point of obsession) mainly because the writer can create any type of world he/she wants. Your imagination can soar fantastically onward with this genre. I was very excited to start reading this book and with just one glance at the cover knew, without a doubt, that this would be a story to remember.

The Brotherhood of Dwarves starts out by telling of the different races of dwarves that exist in the location that is the western mountains. There are the Tredjards (black beards) in the southernmost region, the Ghaldeons in the central region, and the Kiredurks (white beards) in the northern region. This particular story focuses on a dwarf named Roskin who is first son to King Kraganere, ruler of the Kiredurks. Roskin craves adventure and longs to fight in battles. However, since the Kiredurks are namely a peaceful people, these dreams of his are looked down upon. His father understands his need to go out and explore, for he himself was wild in his youth. So he allows Roskin to take a year to go where he pleases within the lands. There is a slight catch, though. Throughout the entirety of that year, Roskin must remain outside of the palace, and he will lose his status as heir.

Roskin tells his father that he will live with a friend in the central region for that year, but keeps his true intentions to himself. And so, with that note, heads off into the wilderness.

Throughout this story, Roskin befriends many characters and also makes plenty more his enemies. He is captured, wounded, and betrayed. There is a time where he even questions if he deserves to be the future king of his people.

I enjoyed every moment of reading this. It was amazingly well written, and every character seemed fleshed out to the point where I felt they could be real. I am definitely going to have to read the other books in this series, because I am dying to know what happens next.

Anyone who loves fantasy genre books will not be disappointed by this one.

5 out of 5 stars.

Courtesy of ireadabookonce.com and thisisme2112.blogspot.com

[Elisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brotherhood is about Roskin, a prince and heir to the throne but his mother was his father's first wife, a wild elf making Roskin heir, but different than everyone else. He has always felt his difference and when he is told he gets a year of travel as a poor shlub before ruling, he decides to start a fairly uninformed, half-formulated quest to retrieve a statue called the Brotherhood of Dwarves from a fortified castle in a neighboring kingdom. His plan is to convince an aged, retired general to help him.

As soon as Roskin no longer has his insignia he is pushed around, beaten and treated like the lowest of the low, before even leaving his own kingdom! This is one young dwarf who has a long road of growing and understanding of the world to gather. Roskin is completely niaive and does ridiculously dangerous things, both brave and foolish and kind of falls into his quest, with good intentions, but truly no clue.

I had a bit of a hard time adjusting to the book, I am not one who typically goes in for this type of fantasy, dwarves and war and those long crazy names you only find in this stuff, but it grew on me, just like Roskin. He was one of those teenaged characters who thinks they know what is going on but don't, that kind of irritate you until eventually they realize what a bone-head they have been, have some angst and then grow up. Roskin really grew into himself and began to "get it" after a bit. He has to go through some trials and make a few friends. But he does finally grow and develop. Yay!

I really was enjoying things a lot as the intensity of the finale hit and folks pulled themselves together to do what needed doing. Roskin's quest is by no means over at the end of this book, though it might have changed...but I am going to have to read book 2 to really find out where he is going. And luckily I have it!! :) It started as a 3 star book for me, but ended as a 4 star, so I guess I give it 3.5+ stars carved in the handle of a sword.

[Alicia Justice · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Brotherhood of Dwarves is a pretty fast paced read full of adventure. This book is perfect for young adults to read seeing as there isn't anything that a young adult shouldn't read. I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to read the second story in this series.

I really enjoyed reading this book mainly because as a reader we get to see the main character growing throughout the whole story. He's not perfect, he learns from his mistakes and moves on. I also really enjoyed all the different characters in this book as well. There are plenty of Dwarves, yes and other types of characters, like elves . Another thing I greatly enjoyed was the details that are jam packed in this book. I love all the history about the lands in this story. The languages between the characters as well. I've never read a story about a half dwarf half elf before and I really enjoyed the details and seeing how that was intertwined in the story. I also really loved seeing him get knocked down a few pegs so to say. I love a good book where the main characters are flawed in some way and getting to read about them being put in their place is great. This book did not disappoint on that detail!!

My only complaint about this book would really have to be there is no map! I would really love to see a map for this book and get to see the lands how the author sees them. Maps in Fantasy books help me to picture it all even more in my head. Its one thing I love about Fantasy books.

The Brotherhood of Dwaves is a well written and has a great plot. It is a great first part of this story and I for one can't wait to read more about Roskin and get to know more characters. I can't wait to see what other adventures Roskin and the other characters can get into.

[Eoghann Irving · Rating 1 out of 5]

When I started this book I was hoping for a traditional, but fun fantasy story where our young hero seeks adventure in a fantasy world. The core story is certainly nothing new, but it could be entertaining. Unfortunately that story is buried by poor writing.

Things start of badly with a multi-page info-dump that spews all sorts of details you really don't need to know and provides you with many different unpronounceable names. This is exactly how not to start a fantasy novel. Show... don't tell.

And it really never gets better from there. The story is clumsily told, jumping from event to event without much logic or progression. We are constantly told about about our hero's short temper but rarely actually shown it. We are told about the differences between the three races of dwarves but again... there is nothing to actually show it.

The setting itself is a bizarre mixture of fantasy tropes slung together with very little logic or apparent reason. Why exactly do the Orcs operate plantations? We are never told. How does a single hermit manage to maintain an entire farm on his own? We're not told that either.

How does an old, out of shape man (no matter how good a warrior in his younger days) hold off 200 orcs single handedly and kill 100 of them? Apparently by running round the house.

Why is the human empire's name apparently "The Great Empire"? No, really, even the empire's soldiers seem to call it that.

Why does our hero suffer so much over his first kill (someone who attacked him) yet not even spare a thought for the poor slave dwarf who he casually impales on a spike in order to escape?

The questions go on, and there are no answers. This reads like the first draft of a first time writer.

[Rae · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most of the problems I had with this book involved character development and the sometimes strange placement thereof. There were some folks I really wanted to know more about, and either didn't find out at all or had to wait until the book was almost over.

I would have appreciated a map of the regions mentioned in the book. Not a big whoop, but I'm so used to them in fantasy books that it felt disorienting not to have one.

Most of the book gave us some great imagery, but the orcs-on-a-southern-plantation thing was just too much. I kept picturing Gone With the Wind. Slave trading orcs as a plot device are fine, but the setting needed to be a little less "quittin' time at Tara!"...

We also needed more info about the actual artifact being quested after! The novel was supposed to center around this "Brotherhood of the Dwarves", but the items's description is limited to about a half a page. I really wanted to feel bad for Roskin about how his quest ended up causing him and his friends a world of hurt because he'd gone looking for an artifact, but I couldn't because I wasn't even clear about the thing itself.

Now I feel bad for tearing into this poor author, but I realize it's because even with all its issues, this book somehow made me really really still want to read the second one. Some things need some tidying up but I really believe there's potential here! I want this guy to not be afraid to blather on about the characters he's created and the ideas he's halfway set up. I want to read more, but I want to read MORE of more. Did that make any sense? ;)

[Kendell Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Check out all my reviews at Kenn's Reviews

This book is the first of a fantasy series, and as such starts out at a snail’s pace. However, with that said, this book was one of the most riveting I have read in quite a while.

The flow of the storyline is seamless and after the first chapter of the book, which goes into quite a bit of detail of the Dwarf culture and history, the action starts off with our protagonist being sent on a journey of discovery to follow the hard set traditions.

This first book of the series is a tale of the Dwarf prince Roskin and his rite of passage to take his father’s place as king of the clan. Along his one year trek across the war torn lands, this underground dwelling Dwarf experiences most of what life has to offer packed into the fourteen chapters of the book.

The character development is beautifully written as the coddled prince grows into a battle hardened adult. Along the way the half Elf, half Dwarf Roskin meets the banished Human war criminal he’s dreamed of, only to find that he isn’t exactly the fearsome leader everyone dreads.

Enemies become friends; friends are murdered; slaves run free and the wars have only just begun, again.

[PuppyPaws · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brotherhood of Dwarves follows Roskin, a half dwarf/half elf prince with ambitions of glory. His tale leads him to fierce battles, enslavement and personal growth as well as finding new friends and legends.

I really cant remember most names in this book, they were pretty odd and i had trouble even remembering the main characters name! The book was good though, if short. The world building was fine yet lacking description. The dwarve culture was explained a bit as well as orc and ogre culture. I really wish we learned more about the elves though.

Roskin is a nice main character. He is naive and young but also tough. I felt for him and rooted for him. I liked the othwr characters too but not much was really given towards thier backgrounds or it wasnt delved into deeply.

For being so short it was a fun ride and easy to read, the pacing was good and nothing felt too rushed. The ending stopped at a nice point and is set up well for the next book. Will i read it? Perhaps but its not at the front of my list.

[Addy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went into reading this book without even looking at the description, the amazing marketing professional that sent this to me had hyped it up enough for me to want to devour it. I will say right away that she wasn't wrong. I mean come on who doesn't like Dwarves? I'm pretty sure that's the first thing I even said to her as well when she approached me to read this one.


The Brotherhood of Dwarves is easily one of my favorite books that I've read this year and if you've been following me on my other blog then you know I've read over 100 books this year. Below are a few of the reasons why I love it so much and even a few of the cons.


Pros: The writing style of this book is superb and I really enjoyed how immersive the world is that the author has created. The way he writes has you jumping right into the world with both feet and I loved that about this book.

To read more of my review: CLICK HERE

[Sam L · Rating 2 out of 5]

meh..... I'm going to give the 2nd book a chance, probably shouldn't though.

[Ken Finlay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Roskin, heir to a dwarven throne, craves adventure, so much so that he is clearly unfit to be given greater responsibility in the kingdom.
His father gives him a year off to get it out of his system. But he's be on his own and without the backing of the kingdom.
Roskin knows just what he wants to do - recover a priceless ancient dwarven relic last seen decades ago in the possession of the feared Great Empire General Crushaw (aka Evil Blade).
It won't be easy but Roskin has the fearlessness that only youth enjoys.
There's a lot, a hell of a lot, of world-building that hopefully will diminish in further books.
I've read a lot of similar books over the years and parts of the plot were very familiar but it very much stands on its own.
One of the marks of a successful series of this type is, in my opinion, a willingness to sacrifice central characters and D. A. Adams is more than up to the task (even if it turns out to be sleight of hand).
"The Brotherhood of Dwarves" is over-written but great fun nonetheless.
I'll be reading on in the series.
3.5 Stars.

[Mutated Reviewer · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not something I usually would read, I thought I would give this genre a chance for the sake of expanding my horizons. Though I didn't fully get into this one, I will continue to try the topic out in the future, in hopes that I can finally find one I'm obsessed with. That being said, this book just wasn't for me.

Check out my full review here! Posted 10/27/2025

https://mutatedlibrary.wordpress.com/...

[Lee Broderick · Rating 1 out of 5]

There's a nice twist in this story that begins with the impression of a stereotypical fantasy quest, becoming something grittier and, altogether, much darker. Getting to that twist though means wading through some of the most turgid, expositionary and simply poor text that I've ever had the displeasure of reading.

[Kurt Hendricks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dwarves at it again



I enjoy stories of dwarves, elfs et al! This one is well crafted and a thouroghly enjoyable read! Fast moving and interesting - on to the sequel!

[Suzanne Cruz Garcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. I love the world-building especially. Also, the characters were interesting to me, his adventure was exciting, full of actions, and even though he was betrayed I guess he triumphed through challenges. I think it was the action-packed and impressive world, to begin with, that get me to read this.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun fantasy story that focused mostly on dwarves, and specifically on Roskin. He is on a year long adventure in the outside world prior to taking on his role as the next ruler of the Kiredurk nation. He has decided to set himself a goal to obtain a lost dwarven piece of art called the brotherhood of dwarves, thinking it will bring him recognition and adventure. But the journey isn’t easy, and he encounters many setbacks along the way.

While I enjoyed the premise of the story, I found the execution a little rough in the beginning. The story starts with an encyclopedia-like description of dwarves, and the various dwarf nations and histories. It then had an overview of Roskin and his life and only really became a true story after Roskin left his home. Prior to that, and even at points after, it felt like I was being told about the story instead of experiencing it first hand.

I found the story picked up the further into it I got, especially the ending scenes. I felt those scenes and wished the rest of the book had the same level of reader involvement and interaction.

While Roskin was the main character, I felt that Crushaw was a much stronger, well-developed character. He stood out as flawed and realistic, and his story was quite touching. By comparison, Roskin felt wishy-washy and under developed. When I look back over the descriptions from the beginning of the story to his actions at the end, it doesn’t feel like the same character, and not just in a growth sort of way, it’s more a fundmental change.

Overall, this was a quick pure fantasy, quest-style story that is worth reading, once you get past the info dump in the beginning. I would guess that based on the quality of the story in the later part of the book that subsequent volumes in the series will be better executed than this one, and will make reading this one worth it.

[Cal Bowen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a disappointing read for me - it was like High Fantasy Lite - all the ideas without any of that bothersome narrative or exposition - a task that should have taken weeks was begun and finished in 2 pages - nothing to see here? - then why have the 150 words dedicated to mentioning it - oh, so later you can say, remember back when I did this - well, i found this - and where most authors would include backstory, this author chooses to simplify the process by having a paragraph explain what the character is explaining, and does of good summary - something else that usually takes more boko to do - surprises? - nope - I am looking for this person - he is dead - are you sure - yes - are you him - yes - wait, what? - that was not a very well kept secret now was it - this is a good fantasy book for anyone who does not like to be bogged down with details or intrigue and just wants to read about someone taht is not really that great doing things that are pretty boring to accomplish his own personal agenda - I will pass.

[yogi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book!!

The characters in the story were well defined. Can't wait for the next book. Red redeemed himself. Waiting for the next book.

[Shan Winslow · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent start to what will, hopefully, be a long lasting series. Editorial errors and the fact that you could tell this was the first book in a longer narrative detracted from the overall story, which is why I could only give it three stars. Furthermore, I felt that this book could have lasted longer, seeing as how it just seemed to end, without any real resolution to the main plot line.

However, that being said, I did enjoy the novel and commend Mr. Adams on exploring a new world, full of interesting characters that you love to get to know more about as the book progresses. I will definitely check out more books in the series, in the hopes that some of the problems with the first book will be overcome. Also, it makes for a quick read, so it doesn't take too much of your time.

In closing, I will say that if you are a fan of dwarves, then you should definitely check this one out.

[Page Bites · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alright, let's talk about The Brotherhood of Dwarves. I'll start off by saying that I think this series is going to be one of my favorites. I loved reading this book and can't wait to read the next one. Through his world building and fantastic characters, author D.A. Adams kept me reading till the last page and trust me I tried to keep turning the page but after the back cover there wasn't anything else. It made me want to scream I NEED MORE NOW!

To Read More CLICK HERE

[Misty · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book. The beginning took the time to set up so much for a whole series. The first chapter gives a good background for the story. One of the most loved things about this book is that there is NO adult content or language. Not even the cheap way out to make up words to replace foul language. It's a great fantasy book that you don't have to worry what message is being learned when your teen reads it.

[Robin Blankenship · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fast paced high adventure fantasy novel. I loved it from page one. I also love that this is one of those books that I know my teenager will also love and I have no concerns with passing it along to him. Adams is a amazing storyteller and paints a vivid picture that sucks you into the story. I am so glad there are 4 books in this series. I highly recommend this to any age, and not just fantasy lovers. I think everyone will enjoy this one.

[Kattie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good fantasy novel, and likes a short read. If you liked The Hobbit, you will probably like this book. In was a short and easy read. It did not take me long to finish. I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review. It has dwarves, orcs, fighting, what's not to love?!?
See what else I thought at www.vivacioushobo.com

[Jamie Eastman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable

Enjoyable

I have to say this was a good book, I like fantasy, big LOTRO and Drizzt fan here, and it was nice to see a dwarf as a main character, also a nice change for there to be an ogre friend instead of an enemy, so I definitely recommend this book for any fantasy or dwarf fan.

[Andrew McCullough · Rating 3 out of 5]

A classic adventure

Very nice job by the author in creating an immersive world. The story moved along at a nice place and I found myself reading it in one sitting. If you're looking for an enjoyable and light read, you won't be disappointed by this. My only criticism was the mediocre dialogue and wooden characters.

[Stefan · Rating 3 out of 5]

D. A. Adams’s ‘The Brotherhood of Dwarves’ was extremely fun, short read. The story was not exactly original (a young dwarf going off into the world and going from adventure to adventure), but the plot flowed smoothly and the action never let up.