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Nikka the Cerni Dwarf, assassin and sell-sword (from the Redemption of Wist series) is imprisoned for decades far below his home by the ruthless Volni. When his only companion dies, he can take no more and must reach the surface or die in the attempt. But how can he when surrounded by his captors and lost miles below ground? Will he ever see the sunrise again or will he be trapped forever?
30 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 15, 2015
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About the author
David Gilchrist
8 books33 followersI am a product of the 80’s. Father of three crazy boys and husband to a slightly less crazy wife. When I'm not writing or playing the guitar, I design electronics to earn a crust.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
February 15, 2017
Author David Gilchrist, a resident of Western Scotland and lover of Lord of the Rings, brings you Nikka, a fantasy short that follows a Cerni dwarf attempting to escape his captors.
Nikka has long been enslaved by a rival dwarven clan known as the Volni when he decides that enough is enough and begins his escape. The main theme of the short story is enslavement, in addition to the freedom Nikka desperately craves.
The author's words flow well and show a good use of imagery throughout. Their heart thumping description of Nikka's escape helps readers to identify with the fear he experiences, as well as his obvious sense of claustrophobia.
Gilchrist is a master at creating tension and I cannot wait to see what his full-length novels have to offer. Rated 4/5 stars.
Nikka has long been enslaved by a rival dwarven clan known as the Volni when he decides that enough is enough and begins his escape. The main theme of the short story is enslavement, in addition to the freedom Nikka desperately craves.
The author's words flow well and show a good use of imagery throughout. Their heart thumping description of Nikka's escape helps readers to identify with the fear he experiences, as well as his obvious sense of claustrophobia.
Gilchrist is a master at creating tension and I cannot wait to see what his full-length novels have to offer. Rated 4/5 stars.
February 6, 2017
Nikka is a simple short story, set in a fantasy world created by Gilchrist.
The main character Nikka is a dark, dwarf, who is held captive as a slave, deep underground, melding rock with his hands. One day, it all snaps and Nikka is determined to seek his freedom. Nothing else matters as Nikka claws his way slowly, but inexorably to the surface. I enjoyed the short tale.
As an introduction to a new author and presumably a character that I will come across in the book from Gilchrist I am reading currently, it served a good purpose.
It is short, easy to read and enjoyable.
The main character Nikka is a dark, dwarf, who is held captive as a slave, deep underground, melding rock with his hands. One day, it all snaps and Nikka is determined to seek his freedom. Nothing else matters as Nikka claws his way slowly, but inexorably to the surface. I enjoyed the short tale.
As an introduction to a new author and presumably a character that I will come across in the book from Gilchrist I am reading currently, it served a good purpose.
It is short, easy to read and enjoyable.
August 16, 2016
Nikka (The Redemption of Wist Book 0)
Nikka is a dwarf prisoner with a past, working on the construction of a vast underground complex by melding stone with his hands. After an altercation he sets out to escape and freedom. As this is book 0, I’m presuming it serves as a taster or scene-setter for the other books in the series.
I enjoyed the writing style and the story, which in it’s short length gave enough characterisation so I cared about Nikka’s plight and those around him. The world-building and descriptions are also very good, giving a flavour of the conditions and his captors - a race of dwarfs called the Volni. It also gives a great sense of the claustrophobic, especially during one particular scene in a tunnel.
The only negative is that the end turns into a bit of a summary of events that aren’t fleshed out further, and as I was enjoying it would have been good to have those explored in more detail.
One caveat to all this is that Nikka is a short story, and the price point for only 16 pages (according to Amazon) may put some people off when many discounted whole novels are the same price. It’s well worth a read though.
Nikka is a dwarf prisoner with a past, working on the construction of a vast underground complex by melding stone with his hands. After an altercation he sets out to escape and freedom. As this is book 0, I’m presuming it serves as a taster or scene-setter for the other books in the series.
I enjoyed the writing style and the story, which in it’s short length gave enough characterisation so I cared about Nikka’s plight and those around him. The world-building and descriptions are also very good, giving a flavour of the conditions and his captors - a race of dwarfs called the Volni. It also gives a great sense of the claustrophobic, especially during one particular scene in a tunnel.
The only negative is that the end turns into a bit of a summary of events that aren’t fleshed out further, and as I was enjoying it would have been good to have those explored in more detail.
One caveat to all this is that Nikka is a short story, and the price point for only 16 pages (according to Amazon) may put some people off when many discounted whole novels are the same price. It’s well worth a read though.
February 11, 2017
Well Written - Enjoyable
It was a short read, but a well written story. The author's words allow you to feel what the character must feel. I recommend it.
It was a short read, but a well written story. The author's words allow you to feel what the character must feel. I recommend it.
April 1, 2021
This prequel short story about a dwarf trapped working in the mines of his racial enemies has a distinctly D&AD Forgotten Realms feel to it. Dark dwarves, light dwarves, deep-dwelling creatures of undead origin, mysteriously dark pasts; you know the drill. I found some of it a bit difficult to follow at times (being unfamiliar with the character who is from a series by the author, the racial terms, and just finding it hard to keep up with action sequences) and couldn't help but wonder how a former assassin ended up a slave, but despite this found it an intriguingly written short story that made me nostalgic for pulpy (in a good way) FR novels.
April 18, 2017
I first decided to review Nikka because I hold a fondness for the fantasy genre. Coming in at 50 pages on my Kindle, it is a quick read, one that one would sit down on a rainy day to get lost in a well-crafted world.
While I think that the entire novella is well-written, I do believe that the start of the story was paced much too slow for the length of the novella. Nikka is told in the third person point of view, one of my favorite point of views.
I think one of my favorite characters was Lidla. I find that elderly characters are hard for authors to write about while making them act realistically--not stereotypically. Gilchrist manages to make an elderly character realistically. I also loved the role that he played for Nikka in the end.
I would recommend Nikka to anyone who likes a good fantasy.
While I think that the entire novella is well-written, I do believe that the start of the story was paced much too slow for the length of the novella. Nikka is told in the third person point of view, one of my favorite point of views.
I think one of my favorite characters was Lidla. I find that elderly characters are hard for authors to write about while making them act realistically--not stereotypically. Gilchrist manages to make an elderly character realistically. I also loved the role that he played for Nikka in the end.
I would recommend Nikka to anyone who likes a good fantasy.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews