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In the Giant's Shadow: The First Tale of Calamity and Triumph
Dark deeds haunt the town of Jötungatt.
Lured to this sleepy community by a mysterious white raven, Gaiur the Valdunite soon finds herself caught in a strange conspiracy of ritual murder and very real nightmares. Can she uncover the mystery behind the town's ancient, monolithic gate? Will she be able to survive the truth if she does?
Written by D. S. Brandt, aka "The Man Behind the Screen," In the Giant's Shadow is a novella length mystery adventure, and is the first of his Tales of Calamity and Triumph collection of dark fantasy and sword & sorcery adventure stories.
Lured to this sleepy community by a mysterious white raven, Gaiur the Valdunite soon finds herself caught in a strange conspiracy of ritual murder and very real nightmares. Can she uncover the mystery behind the town's ancient, monolithic gate? Will she be able to survive the truth if she does?
Written by D. S. Brandt, aka "The Man Behind the Screen," In the Giant's Shadow is a novella length mystery adventure, and is the first of his Tales of Calamity and Triumph collection of dark fantasy and sword & sorcery adventure stories.
161 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 12, 2024
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October 7, 2025
The influence of Norse mythology plainly seeps through in regards to In the Giant’s Shadow. With ravens and wolves, a Völva wielding runic magic, otherworldly trees and fell bargains struck, chattering spirit animals and magic weapons, and the prominent importance of dreams that echoes throughout Norse myth, Brandt has clearly done his homework while writing this novel. That’s not said to paint In the Giant’s Shadow as derivative in any way, as quite the contrary is true. This dark tale stands on its own as a healthy start to a legend in the making.
Gaiur the Valdunite is the star of the show; once a wife and mother, now a warrior with a tragic past who has spent her last years in the wilds battling monsters. She struck me immediately as the sort of hardened character I enjoy. She appears to be less than she truly is as any warrior worth their salt ought to. Outwardly she is calm and collected, displaying utter pragmatism and a cynical bluntness that has been demanded of her in order to survive until this point, but on the inside she is intelligent and observant; painfully aware while bearing deep emotional wounds that have left a bitterness inside her that cannot be satiated no matter how many times she buries her axe into some foul creature’s flesh.
Gaiur is drawn in by some arcane force and thrust into the mysterious on-goings at Jötungatt, forced to bear witness to (and participate in) ritualistic sacrifice before having to figure out ‘why her’ and subsequently what she plans to do about the lurking evil now that she’s been marked by it. As fate has invariably decided, she is the ideal match for the supernatural threats at play in the strange community.
The mystery dominates the first part of the novel; what evil is plaguing Jötungatt, what manner of giant is casting a shadow over the people, and why Gaiur has been drawn here to deal with the whole mess. Everything falls into place as the stakes inevitably rise toward a final clash in a classic battle between good and evil, sword and sorcery style. There’s epic axe cleaving, blood spraying, and enough magical horsepower to beguile and bewilder as Gaiur heroically fights not only for her own life but for the salvation of Jötungatt itself.
Overall this is an enjoyable read and really sets up an exciting series to come with a whole ‘unlikely chosen one’ vibe that promises more thrilling adventures for Gaiur and her companions in subsequent Tales of Calamity and Triumph. If you’re a fan of the Norse Sagas, of everyday heroes facing down foes that beyond them, or just love a classic sword and sorcery novel that has a touch of horror mixed in, consider adding In the Giant’s Shadow to your shelf today.
Full in-depth review on my Substack: The Word Dump!
Gaiur the Valdunite is the star of the show; once a wife and mother, now a warrior with a tragic past who has spent her last years in the wilds battling monsters. She struck me immediately as the sort of hardened character I enjoy. She appears to be less than she truly is as any warrior worth their salt ought to. Outwardly she is calm and collected, displaying utter pragmatism and a cynical bluntness that has been demanded of her in order to survive until this point, but on the inside she is intelligent and observant; painfully aware while bearing deep emotional wounds that have left a bitterness inside her that cannot be satiated no matter how many times she buries her axe into some foul creature’s flesh.
Gaiur is drawn in by some arcane force and thrust into the mysterious on-goings at Jötungatt, forced to bear witness to (and participate in) ritualistic sacrifice before having to figure out ‘why her’ and subsequently what she plans to do about the lurking evil now that she’s been marked by it. As fate has invariably decided, she is the ideal match for the supernatural threats at play in the strange community.
The mystery dominates the first part of the novel; what evil is plaguing Jötungatt, what manner of giant is casting a shadow over the people, and why Gaiur has been drawn here to deal with the whole mess. Everything falls into place as the stakes inevitably rise toward a final clash in a classic battle between good and evil, sword and sorcery style. There’s epic axe cleaving, blood spraying, and enough magical horsepower to beguile and bewilder as Gaiur heroically fights not only for her own life but for the salvation of Jötungatt itself.
Overall this is an enjoyable read and really sets up an exciting series to come with a whole ‘unlikely chosen one’ vibe that promises more thrilling adventures for Gaiur and her companions in subsequent Tales of Calamity and Triumph. If you’re a fan of the Norse Sagas, of everyday heroes facing down foes that beyond them, or just love a classic sword and sorcery novel that has a touch of horror mixed in, consider adding In the Giant’s Shadow to your shelf today.
Full in-depth review on my Substack: The Word Dump!
Displaying 1 of 1 review