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Grimbeard: Tales of the Last Dwarf
Tales of the Last Dwarf collects the adventures of Blizzard Entertainment art director Samwise Didier’s brawling, elf-hating Captain Grimbeard.
Captain Grimbeard is right ticked off! Our most noble dwarf (and hero of this story) awoke from a night of merriment to find that he had mysteriously traveled one thousand years into the future. On top of that, he also discovered that the world he once knew was now ruled by the most detestable and dandyish of all creatures—those annoying elfs. Oh, and did I mention that every dwarf in existence was somehow wiped off the crust of the world by those aforementioned scoundrels?
Well, not every dwarf.
A collection of bawdy and boisterous short stories featuring all original artwork by legendary Blizzard Entertainment art director Samwise Didier, this tome follows Captain Grimbeard as he organizes underground fight clubs, boxes elven bounty hunters, ducks amorous giants, and most important—searches for a place to empty his beer-filled bladder.
Captain Grimbeard is right ticked off! Our most noble dwarf (and hero of this story) awoke from a night of merriment to find that he had mysteriously traveled one thousand years into the future. On top of that, he also discovered that the world he once knew was now ruled by the most detestable and dandyish of all creatures—those annoying elfs. Oh, and did I mention that every dwarf in existence was somehow wiped off the crust of the world by those aforementioned scoundrels?
Well, not every dwarf.
A collection of bawdy and boisterous short stories featuring all original artwork by legendary Blizzard Entertainment art director Samwise Didier, this tome follows Captain Grimbeard as he organizes underground fight clubs, boxes elven bounty hunters, ducks amorous giants, and most important—searches for a place to empty his beer-filled bladder.
- GenresFantasy
256 pages, Hardcover
Published March 21, 2017
8 people are currently reading
285 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
April 4, 2017
Pre-Read: A Dwarf-centric comedic fantasy? What's not to love? Sounds custom-made for me!! (I must have been a dwarf in another life- or so Axebeard keeps telling me.)
Post-Read: I liked this exactly for what it was. Was it the greatest fantasy novel ever? Of course not, but it gave me exactly what I wanted. And the print copy is very aesthetically pleasing.
Highly recommended overall, but patricularly for those discerning fantasy fans who realize dwarves > elves. (Post below if so; always interesting to find out who my clamates are!!)
Post-Read: I liked this exactly for what it was. Was it the greatest fantasy novel ever? Of course not, but it gave me exactly what I wanted. And the print copy is very aesthetically pleasing.
Highly recommended overall, but patricularly for those discerning fantasy fans who realize dwarves > elves. (Post below if so; always interesting to find out who my clamates are!!)
April 12, 2020
Captain Grimbeard. He's rough. He's tough. Hates Elves and loves a good fight. And he's the hero of this collection of short stories.
Fun read!
Grimbeard is hacked off. And it's understandable. He wakes up after a night of partying to discover that not only has he flashed 1000 years forward in time, but he's also the last dwarf. The very last one. And there are freaking elves everywhere. These six stories follow Grimbeard as he grumps his way through life organizing fights, avoiding elven bounty hunters, does piratey things and generally fights his way through life.
Very entertaining! Fun to read! I passed the book on to my husband when I finished and he's enjoying it too. He keeps popping into the room to exclaim about things happening in the stories. ha ha :)
I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway. Glad I entered -- this book was just ridiculously entertaining!
**I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads.com giveaway. I voluntarily wrote this review and the free copy had no bearing on my opinion. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**
Fun read!
Grimbeard is hacked off. And it's understandable. He wakes up after a night of partying to discover that not only has he flashed 1000 years forward in time, but he's also the last dwarf. The very last one. And there are freaking elves everywhere. These six stories follow Grimbeard as he grumps his way through life organizing fights, avoiding elven bounty hunters, does piratey things and generally fights his way through life.
Very entertaining! Fun to read! I passed the book on to my husband when I finished and he's enjoying it too. He keeps popping into the room to exclaim about things happening in the stories. ha ha :)
I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway. Glad I entered -- this book was just ridiculously entertaining!
**I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads.com giveaway. I voluntarily wrote this review and the free copy had no bearing on my opinion. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**
April 9, 2017
As a person who enjoyes playing Dwarves in D&D games, reading 6 short stories about Grimbeard and his adventures was fun for me. In the first short story, Grimbeard goes to prison. We learn about what he goes through in trying to acquire a new crew for his ship in order to beat down the Elvish types. What trials and tribulations does Grimbeard endure? We find ourselves following Grimbeard next to some Friday Night Fights. What interesting things does Grimbeard get into at the fights? After the fights, he goes to a wedding. Who's wedding is it and what happens there? When Grimbeard needs to get away and do some beardhydrotherapy, where does he go and what does he end up drinking? What happens? I was laughing long and hard after this story finished. When Grimbeard goes to the Tavern of the Gods, what mischief does he get into there? What happens that he almost loses his head? After Grimbeard's harrowing tale of visiting the God's End Tavern, we see him going fishing. Nothing bad can happen while fishing, right? Read and find out about this adventure. When Sireengets lost and is now a missing Queen, what happens? It is funny reading about the different technological advances that happen in this world of fantasy. So much fun.
RECEIVED THIS BOOK AS A GIFT FOR A FAIR/HONEST REVIEW and REVIEWER FOR Bloggin' With M. Brennan.
RECEIVED THIS BOOK AS A GIFT FOR A FAIR/HONEST REVIEW and REVIEWER FOR Bloggin' With M. Brennan.
January 26, 2017
Received ARC from Netgalley for honest review.
I started this book on the assumption that this was going to be a very funny read,and guess what it was.A selection of short stories starring Grimbeard and his ups and downs in the future.....
A thoroughly entertaining read which had me laughing heartily at his exploits.So reminded me of Sir Terry Pratchett.
I have to say that I will not tire of reading these from Samwise and the drawings are special too.
An absolute corker of a read.
I started this book on the assumption that this was going to be a very funny read,and guess what it was.A selection of short stories starring Grimbeard and his ups and downs in the future.....
A thoroughly entertaining read which had me laughing heartily at his exploits.So reminded me of Sir Terry Pratchett.
I have to say that I will not tire of reading these from Samwise and the drawings are special too.
An absolute corker of a read.
March 18, 2017
Really looking forward to seeing a real hard copy of this, the artwork is gorgeous. The story lines are very funny and I really enjoyed the silliness of some of the characters. I have only read the first two short stories though as reading as a ebook has been a struggle - I will be buying a copy in order to read the second half.
April 6, 2017
This was a fun read! Yay!
August 24, 2017
Grimbeard: Tales of the Last Dwarf by Samwise Didier is a collection of six short stories featuring an elf hating dwarf. These bawdy and boisterous stories featuring all original artwork by legendary Blizzard Entertainment art director Samwise Didier, this tome follows Captain Grimbeard as he organizes underground fight clubs, boxes elven bounty hunters, ducks amorous giants, and most important—searches for a place to empty his beer-filled bladder.
Grimbeard: Tales of the Last Dwarf is an entertaining read, but I will admit that I found the cover and artwork that can be found throughout the book better than the narrative. The adventures of Grimbeard were insane, in a fun and entertaining way, but his chatty style occasionally irritated me more than I expected it to. I liked the idea, come on who would not want to read about a dwarf pirate with a deep seated hatred of silly elves? The plot lines and illustrations lived up to my hopes completely, it was only the narrative style that distracted me and kept me from getting lost in the adventures.
Grimbeard: Tales of the Last Dwarf is an entertaining read, but I will admit that I found the cover and artwork that can be found throughout the book better than the narrative. The adventures of Grimbeard were insane, in a fun and entertaining way, but his chatty style occasionally irritated me more than I expected it to. I liked the idea, come on who would not want to read about a dwarf pirate with a deep seated hatred of silly elves? The plot lines and illustrations lived up to my hopes completely, it was only the narrative style that distracted me and kept me from getting lost in the adventures.
April 16, 2020
'Grimbeard: Tales of the Last Dwarf' written and illustrated by Samwise Didier is a series of tall tales told by a boasting dwarf who hates elves.
The six stories in this collection tell how Grimbeard got his fearsome crew together and made his ship out of dragon bones. It tells epic stories of his drinking with the gods, and the mishaps that his drinking can cause. He goes to a wedding and ends up on a reality tv show.
The stories are fun in a ludicrous way. In smaller doses, I might have enjoyed them more. Grimbeard is a boasting blowhard, but he is a gruff, likeable character.
I received a review copy of this ebook from Insight Editions and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.
The six stories in this collection tell how Grimbeard got his fearsome crew together and made his ship out of dragon bones. It tells epic stories of his drinking with the gods, and the mishaps that his drinking can cause. He goes to a wedding and ends up on a reality tv show.
The stories are fun in a ludicrous way. In smaller doses, I might have enjoyed them more. Grimbeard is a boasting blowhard, but he is a gruff, likeable character.
I received a review copy of this ebook from Insight Editions and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.
July 10, 2023
The stories are fun-ish. Any time the story gets on a good roll the Author feels the need to break the 4th wall with stupid banter and interrupt the story. They try to be witty and funny but it's just annoying.
This book is a collection of stories about Grimbeard. Every story the Author feels the need to advertise the previous stories while also berating the reader for "not reading or skipping the previous story" The stories are for the most part pretty good, I would have given it at least 4 stars maybe 5, but the constant breaks in the story for random 4th wall breaking monologues is incredibly annoying and detracts from the story.
This book is a collection of stories about Grimbeard. Every story the Author feels the need to advertise the previous stories while also berating the reader for "not reading or skipping the previous story" The stories are for the most part pretty good, I would have given it at least 4 stars maybe 5, but the constant breaks in the story for random 4th wall breaking monologues is incredibly annoying and detracts from the story.
July 26, 2025
If writing style can severely affect your enjoyment of a book, don't read this. Listen to it instead.
This book took me ages to get through, purely because it is written how Grimbeard talks. There's nothing inherently wrong with that, I just really couldn't get into it. It completely soured my enjoyment of the silly stories (which were incredibly silly and lovely).
I think I would've liked this way better as an audiobook. Or drawn out like a true comic book.
This book took me ages to get through, purely because it is written how Grimbeard talks. There's nothing inherently wrong with that, I just really couldn't get into it. It completely soured my enjoyment of the silly stories (which were incredibly silly and lovely).
I think I would've liked this way better as an audiobook. Or drawn out like a true comic book.
July 27, 2025
Where there was nothing compelling in the writing, once the tone shifted to the ramblings of an incel glorifying his alter-ego, it became so upsetting to read. I had hoped the story would improve, but it didn't. The women are presented either as grotesque, or being a lustful object, or a combination thereof. For something that clearly wanted to be playful and light hearted, it is nothing more than a horrible depiction of any species baring any simple construct of intelligence.
June 15, 2017
Took a long time for me to finish this one. I discovered it in the bookstore and felt it would be perfect for me. A dwarf pirate? Count me in.
It was incredibly tedious. I usually love short stories, but found myself just barely tolerating these. This is one I would say is better passed up.
It was incredibly tedious. I usually love short stories, but found myself just barely tolerating these. This is one I would say is better passed up.
August 25, 2022
Fun read! Mild teen humor, but highly entertaining. While it is a very predictable read in some regards, the journey is the adventure! I would recommend for anyone looking for a lighthearted book that will make you laugh!
July 2, 2017
3.5 stars
Thanks to Netgalley and to the editor. I I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
I loved a lot of things of this book: the cover, that is fantastic, the illustrations, they really are sooooo cute!, the main character (he is the last dwarf. And he is a pirate. And he can't shut up a second!) and the writing. Ah, and the Ol' Girl, the best pirate ship ever!
This one was a really fun reading and I am really happy to have had the opportunity to read it. I mean this is a book centered on a dwarf, with pinky silly frilly elves, that frilly and silly may be but they have conquered the world nonetheless! It was simply too much to pass.
And I enjoyed every single page of it. The main character is the last dwarf in the entire world and he wants to revenge is kind. But he's also a pirate and the first story, in wich he tells us as he makes up his crew, was fantastic. And you can not love his crew of three and his magical sheep! They are all so wonderful!
But our captain is also resourceful, funny and, it seems, really irresistible for the women of all kind, and I really mean all kind.
It's a fast reading, with beautiful illustrations that keep us company while we're following the dwarf around the world in his absurd adventures, and the fun is guaranteed. Yes, it's not the best book ever, but I found the ideas really good, the elves, in particular, are really an author's stroke of genius.
Here you can find the italian review:
http://theroadtohellispavedwithbooks....
Thanks to Netgalley and to the editor. I I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
I loved a lot of things of this book: the cover, that is fantastic, the illustrations, they really are sooooo cute!, the main character (he is the last dwarf. And he is a pirate. And he can't shut up a second!) and the writing. Ah, and the Ol' Girl, the best pirate ship ever!
This one was a really fun reading and I am really happy to have had the opportunity to read it. I mean this is a book centered on a dwarf, with pinky silly frilly elves, that frilly and silly may be but they have conquered the world nonetheless! It was simply too much to pass.
And I enjoyed every single page of it. The main character is the last dwarf in the entire world and he wants to revenge is kind. But he's also a pirate and the first story, in wich he tells us as he makes up his crew, was fantastic. And you can not love his crew of three and his magical sheep! They are all so wonderful!
But our captain is also resourceful, funny and, it seems, really irresistible for the women of all kind, and I really mean all kind.
It's a fast reading, with beautiful illustrations that keep us company while we're following the dwarf around the world in his absurd adventures, and the fun is guaranteed. Yes, it's not the best book ever, but I found the ideas really good, the elves, in particular, are really an author's stroke of genius.
Here you can find the italian review:
http://theroadtohellispavedwithbooks....
October 26, 2018
It looked like my kind of story, short tales, dwarf, pirating,etc... it was mildly amusing in parts, but mostly not for me. DNF.
I receiveda Kindle ARC from Netgalley in exchange for a fair review.
I receiveda Kindle ARC from Netgalley in exchange for a fair review.
June 2, 2021
This was nothing short of Grimtastic! Absolutely hilarious and highly recommended.
January 31, 2017
In a tiresomely chatty manner, this is something about a dwarf runespeller-cum-pirate and his enmity with elves. Apparently it's a sequel set in the far future of his fantasy world, but seeing as I have never heard of that prior world it would have been nice to have been told. You know, with some kind of introduction, or forethought. As it was, the read was such a dire one (I hardly lasted to the ten percent mark) I gave up. Awful.
November 3, 2024
Loved this collection of short stories and the art style of the book is incredible!! I think him going to God's End Tavern was probably my favorite story because of how hilariously accurate the depiction of social media is and all of the 4th wall breaks throughout the entire book are just perfect too 😂 The sense of humor is exactly what I grew up with having only brothers and I love it!
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews