The Devil's Pay: Dogs of War, Vol. One

Warmachine

by Dave Gross

Samantha "Sam" MacHorne and her Devil Dogs need a contract, and when one comes in that leads to the haunted Wythmoor Forest, the company moves out with warjacks and slug guns at the ready.... Sam and the Devil Dogs may be relaxing in Tarna, but it’s not by choice - they’d rather be employed than resting up. When a dangerous job offer comes from "the old man", Sam takes the Devil Dogs and their newest recruit, Dawson, on a perilous hunt to capture an unidentified warjack before their rival Steelheads or the horrific Cryx make a claim on the never-before-seen technology.

Whether their mission will be worth the risk remains to be seen, but one thing is Sam and the Devil Dogs will do whatever it takes to bring home The Devil’s Pay. A novella of the Iron Kingdoms.

Genres: Fantasy, Steampunk, Fiction, Robots

Audible Audio

First published April 1, 2013

About the author

Dave Gross is the author of ten novels, notably the adventures of Radovan and the Count, including Prince of Wolves, Master of Devils, Queen of Thorns, and King of Chaos. Formerly the editor of such magazines as Dragon, Star Wars Insider, and Amazing Stories, Dave has also written novels for the Forgotten Realms and Iron Kingdoms settings. For more tales of Radovan and the Count, including free short stories, check out http://paizo.com/pathfinder/tales.

For more on Dave's current and upcoming projects and events, go to .

Reviews

[William Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

'The Devil's Pay' exists in an odd manner where it happens to be way better than it has any right to be. Dave Gross creates an engaging and delightfully human tale of a ragtag company of mercenaries with a heart of gold, the Devil Dog's, and provides the single best piece of IK fiction yet. The fact that Gross manages to write a novella influenced by a character unit I have never once been interested in or seen on the table and actually made me consider buying them just because is quite a feat indeed. Cannot wait for more installments in the Dogs of War series, and I sincerely hope that Gross will be the one to continue the series in it's current glory.

[Carlos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Also reviewed on Amazon.

I'm a fan of many of Dave Gross's writings. I have almost no prior knowledge of the Iron Kingdoms setting. My lack of knowledge did not at all affect my enjoyment of the novella.

It's no small accomplishment that the large cast of characters is well-developed and interesting in this relatively short piece; their interactions in some ways reminded me of Glen Cook's Black Company, which I also enjoyed. The characters very much make the story, with the main point of view coming from a new recruit learning the ropes as well as the stories and idiosyncrasies of his companions. That said, the setting and the characterization of the world are also fascinating, so I suspect I'll look more into them shortly. The world seems to be a compelling mix of steampunk, technology, necromancy and other magic. If you think you might enjoy any of those things (or an adventurous mercenary group story) I highly recommend you give the title a whirl. After reading this work, I think that Skull Island eXpeditions is a new imprint to watch, and I'll be looking at their books by other authors in the near future (and I hope to see more from Mr. Gross).

[Shane Fraughton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy the Iron Kingdoms setting, and this book doesn't disappoint. Now I want to go and paint my Devil Dogs for Warmachine!

[Michael Parker · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to the audio book version, and I was a fine listen. It might have needed another editing pass; having read other Dave Gross books I felt this was sub par. the audio version did a fair amount to make this an enjoyable jaunt in the Iron Kingdoms.

[Chris Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dave Gross does an excellent job in this novella, creating a vivid cast of characters in just the first few pages, then taking them on a wild romp in the swamp. Lots of action and an excellent story wrapped up in the "Warmachine" world of Privateer Press.

Nicely done!

[Rick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was a great read, maybe in part due to the fact that I have been starved for longer Iron Kingdoms fiction for years. The characterization of the Dogs was good and I look forward to seeing them again in a future publication.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I found this one to have an unsatisfying ending, I did like it.

[Jamie Vinyard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

a Great book. has a little mystery to it, some humor, and action. Also you get to know a lot about the Devil Dogs.