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The Grim Company #3
Dodemans Wapen
In de Eeuwen van Verval zijn de goden verslagen. Hun magie wordt door de nieuwe machthebbers gebruikt om de bevolking te onderdrukken. De wereld heeft behoefte aan helden, maar krijgt in plaats daarvan de Donkere Broederschap: een onwaarschijnlijk gezelschap dat dapper probeert weerstand te bieden aan de tirannie.
In de Stad van Torens kunnen voormalig rebel Sasha en haar kompaan Davarus Cole maar met moeite de vrede bewaren. Dan komt er een nieuwe opdracht: Cole moet naar de Versplinterde Rijken reizen om bondgenoten te zoeken.
De Eeuwen van Verval naderen hun einde. Verzwakt door onderlinge gevechten zijn de overgebleven Oppermagiërs niet van plan hun krachten te gebruiken om de mensheid te beschermen. Het laatste sprankje hoop rust bij de overlevende leden van de Broederschap.
In de Stad van Torens kunnen voormalig rebel Sasha en haar kompaan Davarus Cole maar met moeite de vrede bewaren. Dan komt er een nieuwe opdracht: Cole moet naar de Versplinterde Rijken reizen om bondgenoten te zoeken.
De Eeuwen van Verval naderen hun einde. Verzwakt door onderlinge gevechten zijn de overgebleven Oppermagiërs niet van plan hun krachten te gebruiken om de mensheid te beschermen. Het laatste sprankje hoop rust bij de overlevende leden van de Broederschap.
425 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2016
87 people are currently reading
2687 people want to read
About the author
Luke Scull
14 books913 followersLUKE SCULL is a British author and videogame designer. Luke’s first novel, The Grim Company, was shortlisted for the Gemmell Morningstar Award and earned a starred review from Kirkus as well as praise from the Guardian, the Sun, and the Daily Mail. Luke’s game design credits include several acclaimed titles for Ossian Studios. He has worked on The Witcher, Neverwinter Nights, and Baldur’s Gate franchises and is currently design lead for several projects.
You can keep up to date with Luke’s various projects by following him on Twitter at @Luke_Scull and visiting his website at www.lukescull.com
For book-specific monthly updates, join his mailing list and receive the short story “A Ring to Rule Them All” absolutely free!
You can keep up to date with Luke’s various projects by following him on Twitter at @Luke_Scull and visiting his website at www.lukescull.com
For book-specific monthly updates, join his mailing list and receive the short story “A Ring to Rule Them All” absolutely free!
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July 27, 2024This was an enjoyable conclusion to the trilogy. It maintained the same style shown throughout the series, though with the humour dialled back somewhat.
The writing, especially in the early chapters, felt as if it had stepped up a notch. The cast remains large but they spend a lot of time together in groups that then merge to one big group.
Davarius Cole and Brodar Kayne remain the twin foci of the story. Davarius continues to be a bit of a Two-Face, brooding and tragic one moment, flip and shallow the next. Sometimes the contrast comes off, sometimes it feels a bit fractured, but it's a valid portrayal of someone who shows one persona to the world and has another for more private moments. Where it can fall short is when Davarius seems to genuinely believe in both worldviews.
Kayne is more straight forward and my only gripe with him is a personal one. As a man in his early 50s it was a little grating to read that Kayne is an old man of 50, he has bad eyes, bad knees, bad waterworks, a multitude of general aches and pains, AND a failing heart! And whilst this doesn't manage to stop him heroing at the top level, and whilst I recognise it's a low tech world of poor nutrition etc ... dammit, 50 is not THAT old!
The fehd/fade feature very heavily in this book, creating the core of the plot. They're an interesting addition, bringing guns to a knife fight, and bombs to a magic fight.
One small piece that heartened me was that a relationship that had struck me in previous books as very hard to believe in and feeling fake ... was in fact fake!
Anyway, the book covers a lot of ground. We see dragons chasing aircraft, demons galore, nasty humans torturing less nasty humans, ships sinking, mage fights, betrayals, blood, guts, excrement, the lot!
Luke Scull's excellent imagination gets let loose across the page and it's exciting stuff.
After the big boss fight I was surprised to find I still had sixty or more pages to read. We reach the end in stages, shedding characters left and right.
Jherek (aka The Wolf) remains an enigmatic killing machine and despite lacking any acknowledged magic he continues the same degree of punching way above his weight that I remarked upon in book 1.
Anyway, the end is at last reached, and it is a suitably grim one! Albeit leavened with a spot of Scull humour.
In conclusion, the quality established in book 1 is maintained throughout, and the trilogy is solid entertainment. The mix of grimness, levity, and plain filth will not be for everyone, but if it hits your sweet spot then you're in for a great ride!
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Join my 3-emails-a-year newsletter #prizes
..
The writing, especially in the early chapters, felt as if it had stepped up a notch. The cast remains large but they spend a lot of time together in groups that then merge to one big group.
Davarius Cole and Brodar Kayne remain the twin foci of the story. Davarius continues to be a bit of a Two-Face, brooding and tragic one moment, flip and shallow the next. Sometimes the contrast comes off, sometimes it feels a bit fractured, but it's a valid portrayal of someone who shows one persona to the world and has another for more private moments. Where it can fall short is when Davarius seems to genuinely believe in both worldviews.
Kayne is more straight forward and my only gripe with him is a personal one. As a man in his early 50s it was a little grating to read that Kayne is an old man of 50, he has bad eyes, bad knees, bad waterworks, a multitude of general aches and pains, AND a failing heart! And whilst this doesn't manage to stop him heroing at the top level, and whilst I recognise it's a low tech world of poor nutrition etc ... dammit, 50 is not THAT old!
The fehd/fade feature very heavily in this book, creating the core of the plot. They're an interesting addition, bringing guns to a knife fight, and bombs to a magic fight.
One small piece that heartened me was that a relationship that had struck me in previous books as very hard to believe in and feeling fake ... was in fact fake!
Anyway, the book covers a lot of ground. We see dragons chasing aircraft, demons galore, nasty humans torturing less nasty humans, ships sinking, mage fights, betrayals, blood, guts, excrement, the lot!
Luke Scull's excellent imagination gets let loose across the page and it's exciting stuff.
After the big boss fight I was surprised to find I still had sixty or more pages to read. We reach the end in stages, shedding characters left and right.
Jherek (aka The Wolf) remains an enigmatic killing machine and despite lacking any acknowledged magic he continues the same degree of punching way above his weight that I remarked upon in book 1.
Anyway, the end is at last reached, and it is a suitably grim one! Albeit leavened with a spot of Scull humour.
In conclusion, the quality established in book 1 is maintained throughout, and the trilogy is solid entertainment. The mix of grimness, levity, and plain filth will not be for everyone, but if it hits your sweet spot then you're in for a great ride!
Join my Patreon
Join my 3-emails-a-year newsletter #prizes
..
June 1, 2022
4.5 Stars
This book broke my heart into little pieces and then it put it back together just a little bit. The epilogue had me gushing happy tears!! I think I may even get the books for my personal library.
I love Jerek and Kayne so much.
That’s all, I can’t even say anything else after the emotional ending. It did have me wondering if I would just give up the majority of my books and not read another horrible thing. Alas, I don’t want to leave these characters and there will always be a wolf watching out for you 😉🐺
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
This book broke my heart into little pieces and then it put it back together just a little bit. The epilogue had me gushing happy tears!! I think I may even get the books for my personal library.
I love Jerek and Kayne so much.
That’s all, I can’t even say anything else after the emotional ending. It did have me wondering if I would just give up the majority of my books and not read another horrible thing. Alas, I don’t want to leave these characters and there will always be a wolf watching out for you 😉🐺
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
November 5, 2017
This is difficult to rate. I hate it when the last book in the series is the weakest one. I hate it even more when the series in question is the one I love...It really makes me sad :(
After a lot of pondering I decided to give this book 2 stars. First half of the book deserved a 3 star rating but the second half wasn’t as good so it deserved only 2 stars. Actual rating 2.5 stars.
If you had a chance to read my reviews of the previous books of this series you know that I gave them much praise and that the second book, Sword of the North, was one of the best sequels I’ve read.
When I started reading this everything was going smooth, the story picked up where it left off, the North was in a state of war and I was excited and eager to find out how will things play out. It also gave me an opportunity to once again enjoy the adventures of my favorite characters in this series, Brodar Kayne and his loyal friend Jerek, known as the Wolf.
The ending of the second book left us with a cliffhanger, an ancient race called the Fade were coming back to Trine with a threat to destroy all of the humanity. They are the focus of the second half of the book and in my opinion, they are the reason why everything went wrong.
The biggest issue I had with the Fade is their technology. They are an ancient race, a couple of thousands years old and they are using relics from a time they refer as “the time before”. Those relics are hand-cannons and crystal swords and I didn’t see a problem in that. They arrived on a huge ship wielding a huge cannon with enough power to destroy everything in its path. I didn’t see a problem in that as well. BUT, when their ruler arrived by an AIRPLANE, that was the moment I had to draw the line! It doesn’t end with that, they’re using elevators, cameras, drones, mind controlling devices and all that stuff was simply too much for me to digest. The worst moment was when the main characters had to use that airplane to travel. This is not a steampunk or an urban fantasy so having an airplane transporting barbaric Northmen is just plain wrong! For fuck’s sake! Why?!
I can understand that with inclusion of the Fade, author wanted to give this story a grander scale but I think they were unnecessary because there were already enough interesting threads to explore further and conclude them in a better way. Although some of the conclusions were somewhat unsatisfying, the ending delivered a poetic justice.
In the end, I can’t help but wonder would this book achieve its much deserved potential if the author decided to take things in a different direction…
After a lot of pondering I decided to give this book 2 stars. First half of the book deserved a 3 star rating but the second half wasn’t as good so it deserved only 2 stars. Actual rating 2.5 stars.
If you had a chance to read my reviews of the previous books of this series you know that I gave them much praise and that the second book, Sword of the North, was one of the best sequels I’ve read.
When I started reading this everything was going smooth, the story picked up where it left off, the North was in a state of war and I was excited and eager to find out how will things play out. It also gave me an opportunity to once again enjoy the adventures of my favorite characters in this series, Brodar Kayne and his loyal friend Jerek, known as the Wolf.
The ending of the second book left us with a cliffhanger, an ancient race called the Fade were coming back to Trine with a threat to destroy all of the humanity. They are the focus of the second half of the book and in my opinion, they are the reason why everything went wrong.
The biggest issue I had with the Fade is their technology. They are an ancient race, a couple of thousands years old and they are using relics from a time they refer as “the time before”. Those relics are hand-cannons and crystal swords and I didn’t see a problem in that. They arrived on a huge ship wielding a huge cannon with enough power to destroy everything in its path. I didn’t see a problem in that as well. BUT, when their ruler arrived by an AIRPLANE, that was the moment I had to draw the line! It doesn’t end with that, they’re using elevators, cameras, drones, mind controlling devices and all that stuff was simply too much for me to digest. The worst moment was when the main characters had to use that airplane to travel. This is not a steampunk or an urban fantasy so having an airplane transporting barbaric Northmen is just plain wrong! For fuck’s sake! Why?!
I can understand that with inclusion of the Fade, author wanted to give this story a grander scale but I think they were unnecessary because there were already enough interesting threads to explore further and conclude them in a better way. Although some of the conclusions were somewhat unsatisfying, the ending delivered a poetic justice.
In the end, I can’t help but wonder would this book achieve its much deserved potential if the author decided to take things in a different direction…
February 24, 2017
Originally reviewed at Bookwraiths.
Dead Man’s Steel was a novel I was eagerly looking forward to reading. The Grim Company and The Sword of the North list among my favorite grimdark novels from the recent past, so, naturally, I assumed the final volume would be the best yet. Unfortunately, after finishing this installment of the series, all I feel is disappointment and a longing for what might have been.
Picking up where The Sword of the North ended, the new masters of Dorminia are the legendary race called the Fehd, or Fade. These people descending upon the much fought over carcass of Magelord Salazar’s city, ruthlessly and efficiently destroying all opposition before preparing the opening phases of “The Reckoning” they intend to bring to the world. Eremul the Halfmage an eye witness to these goings on.
A continent away in the far north, Brodar Kayne fights a desperate battle to save his son and his people. Krazka the Butcher King having taken control of the land and having thrown in his lot with an ancient evil, which threatens to drown the whole world in blood – unless the Sword of the North can somehow fight off the weakness of age and aid his fellow Northmen in destroying the cancer before it grows too strong.
Meanwhile, Sasha and Davarus Cole find themselves in the City of the White Lady, slowly but surely pulled into the fight to hold back the rising tide of the Fehd. Surrounded by people whose trust is uncertain, dealing with their own festering curses, and burdened with their past problems, these two quickly find themselves drowning in responsibility and unsure whether they can meet the challenges they are confronted with.
All that sounds like the makings of a great grimdark story, and for the first half of the book, Dead Man’s Steel was on the same upward trajectory as its two predecessors. Then things took a downward turn and never recovered.
Why? Simply put the lack of a compelling villain or heroes.
In my opinion, a story has to have both great villains and heroes to succeed. At times, I truly believe the villain is the more important of the two. And in The Grim Company and The Sword of the North there was an outstanding cast of repulsive enemies for our jaded heroes to struggle against. Magelord Salazar. The White Lady of Thelassa. The Shaman of High Fangs. Krazka. And many more. Each one of these despicable examples of humanity fun to read about, driving the narrative forward either by a reader’s desire to see them killed or to learn what caused them to be the way they are.
In Dead Man’s Steel, we have the Fehd. These guys are supposedly an ancient race, who once inhabited the land back during “the time before”. They are seemingly ageless, possessing of high level technology (cannons, handguns, indestructible crystal swords, city destroying bombs, huge ocean going ships, and airplanes) as well as being gifted with superhuman strength, speed, and agility. One could come to the conclusion they are overpowered without much effort. And this (plus their fairly boring and predictable personalities) causes the narrative to grind to a halt. They just aren’t terribly interesting. Nor are they despicable enough to make you hate them. Rather they have the feel of white coated research scientists who are busy clinically administering death to lab rats. Yes, you want them to stop. Sure, you dislike them. But you don’t care how they meet their end as long as you don’t have to look at them anymore. And that is how I felt about the Fehd. “Just get them away from me already!”
The end result of the Fehd floundering is that our cast of grimdark characters must pick up the slack, which might have worked if Brodar Kayne or Eremul or someone other than Sasha and Davarus Cole were the leads. Unfortunately, these two friends become the focal point of the second half of the narrative.
I admit, in the other books, I enjoyed Cole’s ridiculous antics and Sasha’s drug addict tale. They were wonderful supporting characters. People we followed along behind for a chapter, shook our head at when they did something stupid, and felt sorry for when life threw them a curve ball, but not the people leading the fight against the Fehd. I mean, really? These two are the heroes? (And I do use the word “heroes” lightly.) They and their personal struggles just did not have the strength to hold up the book unassisted by a great villain, and, sadly, the story feel apart once they had to carry it. (At least, in my opinion.)
Which brings me to the only positive from this book: Luke Scull’s writing. Even weighted down with an underachieving pairing of villains and heroes, he somehow makes the story worth reading. His simple yet descriptive prose effortlessly guides the story forward, setting scenes, conveying emotions, and describing conflicts in an uncluttered way. His writing ability always reminding me of one of my favorite fantasy authors, Glen Cook.
Like most people, I always want the concluding volume of a series to be the best ever. Sometimes, though, it just doesn’t work out that way. The Grim Company trilogy was a fun ride, which made me love the kind of gallows humor and fierce action which Luke Scull can serve up, but Dead Man’s Steel was unable to live up to the very high standards its two predecessors set. While I am disappointed, I can truthfully say I’m still glad I read this novel, because it did bring closure to this story, and I will be eagerly awaiting the next story penned by its gifted author.
I received an advanced reading copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. I’d like to thank them for allowing me to receive this review copy and inform everyone that the review you have read is my opinion alone.
Dead Man’s Steel was a novel I was eagerly looking forward to reading. The Grim Company and The Sword of the North list among my favorite grimdark novels from the recent past, so, naturally, I assumed the final volume would be the best yet. Unfortunately, after finishing this installment of the series, all I feel is disappointment and a longing for what might have been.
Picking up where The Sword of the North ended, the new masters of Dorminia are the legendary race called the Fehd, or Fade. These people descending upon the much fought over carcass of Magelord Salazar’s city, ruthlessly and efficiently destroying all opposition before preparing the opening phases of “The Reckoning” they intend to bring to the world. Eremul the Halfmage an eye witness to these goings on.
A continent away in the far north, Brodar Kayne fights a desperate battle to save his son and his people. Krazka the Butcher King having taken control of the land and having thrown in his lot with an ancient evil, which threatens to drown the whole world in blood – unless the Sword of the North can somehow fight off the weakness of age and aid his fellow Northmen in destroying the cancer before it grows too strong.
Meanwhile, Sasha and Davarus Cole find themselves in the City of the White Lady, slowly but surely pulled into the fight to hold back the rising tide of the Fehd. Surrounded by people whose trust is uncertain, dealing with their own festering curses, and burdened with their past problems, these two quickly find themselves drowning in responsibility and unsure whether they can meet the challenges they are confronted with.
All that sounds like the makings of a great grimdark story, and for the first half of the book, Dead Man’s Steel was on the same upward trajectory as its two predecessors. Then things took a downward turn and never recovered.
Why? Simply put the lack of a compelling villain or heroes.
In my opinion, a story has to have both great villains and heroes to succeed. At times, I truly believe the villain is the more important of the two. And in The Grim Company and The Sword of the North there was an outstanding cast of repulsive enemies for our jaded heroes to struggle against. Magelord Salazar. The White Lady of Thelassa. The Shaman of High Fangs. Krazka. And many more. Each one of these despicable examples of humanity fun to read about, driving the narrative forward either by a reader’s desire to see them killed or to learn what caused them to be the way they are.
In Dead Man’s Steel, we have the Fehd. These guys are supposedly an ancient race, who once inhabited the land back during “the time before”. They are seemingly ageless, possessing of high level technology (cannons, handguns, indestructible crystal swords, city destroying bombs, huge ocean going ships, and airplanes) as well as being gifted with superhuman strength, speed, and agility. One could come to the conclusion they are overpowered without much effort. And this (plus their fairly boring and predictable personalities) causes the narrative to grind to a halt. They just aren’t terribly interesting. Nor are they despicable enough to make you hate them. Rather they have the feel of white coated research scientists who are busy clinically administering death to lab rats. Yes, you want them to stop. Sure, you dislike them. But you don’t care how they meet their end as long as you don’t have to look at them anymore. And that is how I felt about the Fehd. “Just get them away from me already!”
The end result of the Fehd floundering is that our cast of grimdark characters must pick up the slack, which might have worked if Brodar Kayne or Eremul or someone other than Sasha and Davarus Cole were the leads. Unfortunately, these two friends become the focal point of the second half of the narrative.
I admit, in the other books, I enjoyed Cole’s ridiculous antics and Sasha’s drug addict tale. They were wonderful supporting characters. People we followed along behind for a chapter, shook our head at when they did something stupid, and felt sorry for when life threw them a curve ball, but not the people leading the fight against the Fehd. I mean, really? These two are the heroes? (And I do use the word “heroes” lightly.) They and their personal struggles just did not have the strength to hold up the book unassisted by a great villain, and, sadly, the story feel apart once they had to carry it. (At least, in my opinion.)
Which brings me to the only positive from this book: Luke Scull’s writing. Even weighted down with an underachieving pairing of villains and heroes, he somehow makes the story worth reading. His simple yet descriptive prose effortlessly guides the story forward, setting scenes, conveying emotions, and describing conflicts in an uncluttered way. His writing ability always reminding me of one of my favorite fantasy authors, Glen Cook.
Like most people, I always want the concluding volume of a series to be the best ever. Sometimes, though, it just doesn’t work out that way. The Grim Company trilogy was a fun ride, which made me love the kind of gallows humor and fierce action which Luke Scull can serve up, but Dead Man’s Steel was unable to live up to the very high standards its two predecessors set. While I am disappointed, I can truthfully say I’m still glad I read this novel, because it did bring closure to this story, and I will be eagerly awaiting the next story penned by its gifted author.
I received an advanced reading copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. I’d like to thank them for allowing me to receive this review copy and inform everyone that the review you have read is my opinion alone.
February 6, 2017
Puts book down
Stands on table
Slow claps Luke Scull for delivering a damn good trilogy
Up there with my top trilogies (Mistborn B Sanderson and Broken Empire M Lawrence). Absolutely fantastic, this final book was the best one yet and soooo satisfying.
This had me on the edge of my seat, I could not put it down. I already want to go back and read the first book again.
The characters are awesome. I cared for each and every one. Usually there is an annoying one (well Cole is annoying but he's annoying on purpose so it doesn't count) but there isn't here. The development of each character is amazing. Splendid character arcs. And Kayne and Jerek, you nearly made me cry again damn you!! Best bromance ever. Even better than Mappo and Icarium.
The series is filled with such heart and jam packed with sheer brute awesomeness. I can't speak highly enough of this and I hope Scull revisits this world.
Great way to kick off my 2017 reading year!
Stands on table
Slow claps Luke Scull for delivering a damn good trilogy
Up there with my top trilogies (Mistborn B Sanderson and Broken Empire M Lawrence). Absolutely fantastic, this final book was the best one yet and soooo satisfying.
This had me on the edge of my seat, I could not put it down. I already want to go back and read the first book again.
The characters are awesome. I cared for each and every one. Usually there is an annoying one (well Cole is annoying but he's annoying on purpose so it doesn't count) but there isn't here. The development of each character is amazing. Splendid character arcs. And Kayne and Jerek, you nearly made me cry again damn you!! Best bromance ever. Even better than Mappo and Icarium.
The series is filled with such heart and jam packed with sheer brute awesomeness. I can't speak highly enough of this and I hope Scull revisits this world.
Great way to kick off my 2017 reading year!
December 27, 2016
Found the last part easier to acclimatise with than the middle book, mind that’s oft the case.
Its a tried & trusted formulaic trilogy with book 1 getting all the gang together, book 2 sees them go separate paths on their quests whilst book 3 puts them all on converging paths for the grand finale.... sound familiar?? No honest im not pouring scorn on whats fast becoming a standard grimdark plot as I do actually enjoy it so long as I ration my fill of it which I have done of late & maybe one of the main reasons I so enjoy this series – One series a cycle as I love to share my book love around a fair few genres & it jus doesn’t seem rehashed to me. I really enjoy these style of characters, some they be sympathetic, others deeply misunderstood, gentle giants, gobshytes, right wicked bastards, spiteful cripple that you root for (sound familiar anyone?), sword wielding hero, Battle Axe(s) wielding hero, mages, Augmenters, witches covens, demons, the undead & some race who kicked the Elves arses & have us humans up next!!...... I think I covered most of the cast.
The downside, the book was split into 4 seasons & whilst I enjoyed Winter & Spring as it followed the story & our heroes....... Sumer & Autumn was told from a narration style where the story continued but was wrapped up in piece-meal here n there, parts were rushed, others seemed forced, some even contrived....... I wont say more but I did find myself not really enjoying the final ¼ of the book, it seemed a different writer & for sure a different style. I felt really flat at the end.....
Overall IF you read shedloads of Grimdark you may not find enough differences amongst this to entice but if you’re an occasional into this genre & hanker for a newish author a la Abercrombie in character style you could do far worse than Luke Skull’s offering of the Grim Company.
I like’s it immensely for about 2 & ¾ of the trilogy, 3 stars for the book & 4 stars for the trilogy overall.
You might actually think my review is a bit of a hashup! Fair point Id say & so is the book on review.......
Its a tried & trusted formulaic trilogy with book 1 getting all the gang together, book 2 sees them go separate paths on their quests whilst book 3 puts them all on converging paths for the grand finale.... sound familiar?? No honest im not pouring scorn on whats fast becoming a standard grimdark plot as I do actually enjoy it so long as I ration my fill of it which I have done of late & maybe one of the main reasons I so enjoy this series – One series a cycle as I love to share my book love around a fair few genres & it jus doesn’t seem rehashed to me. I really enjoy these style of characters, some they be sympathetic, others deeply misunderstood, gentle giants, gobshytes, right wicked bastards, spiteful cripple that you root for (sound familiar anyone?), sword wielding hero, Battle Axe(s) wielding hero, mages, Augmenters, witches covens, demons, the undead & some race who kicked the Elves arses & have us humans up next!!...... I think I covered most of the cast.
The downside, the book was split into 4 seasons & whilst I enjoyed Winter & Spring as it followed the story & our heroes....... Sumer & Autumn was told from a narration style where the story continued but was wrapped up in piece-meal here n there, parts were rushed, others seemed forced, some even contrived....... I wont say more but I did find myself not really enjoying the final ¼ of the book, it seemed a different writer & for sure a different style. I felt really flat at the end.....
Overall IF you read shedloads of Grimdark you may not find enough differences amongst this to entice but if you’re an occasional into this genre & hanker for a newish author a la Abercrombie in character style you could do far worse than Luke Skull’s offering of the Grim Company.
I like’s it immensely for about 2 & ¾ of the trilogy, 3 stars for the book & 4 stars for the trilogy overall.
You might actually think my review is a bit of a hashup! Fair point Id say & so is the book on review.......
March 14, 2021
I'm going to miss reading about Brodar Kayne and Jerek.
These two characters have been my favorite in this series.
A fitting end to the story. There were some weak spots, but overall, I enjoyed the last book.
The world-building was beautiful, I could imagine and even feel being there.
The characters were well written and chapters were exciting. (There was one I found boring, but hey, still pretty good)
All I can say is, I really, really love this trilogy.
These two characters have been my favorite in this series.
A fitting end to the story. There were some weak spots, but overall, I enjoyed the last book.
The world-building was beautiful, I could imagine and even feel being there.
The characters were well written and chapters were exciting. (There was one I found boring, but hey, still pretty good)
All I can say is, I really, really love this trilogy.
September 9, 2025
4.25 / 5
Solid, engaging trilogy, with characters reminiscent of Abercrombie and a setting that brings to mind Lawrence’s “Broken Empire” & “Red Queen’s War.”
I thought the book was wrapping up, and then the REAL ending hit. IYKYK
Tightly paced, unpredictable, and lots of fun.
Solid, engaging trilogy, with characters reminiscent of Abercrombie and a setting that brings to mind Lawrence’s “Broken Empire” & “Red Queen’s War.”
I thought the book was wrapping up, and then the REAL ending hit. IYKYK
Tightly paced, unpredictable, and lots of fun.
April 21, 2017
I've said it a couple of times as ive read through this series but the amount of complete ridiculousness that Scull was able to pack into these rather short (approx 400 page) books is absurd, but absurd in the greatest way possible. Every time you think he can pack in any more crazy plot points or ideas he somehow manages to. Some suspension of disbelief is required to enjoy these as much as I did.
Also a number of characters from the trilogy will be making into to my imaginary favourite characters list. Certainly the most memorable at least.
Also a number of characters from the trilogy will be making into to my imaginary favourite characters list. Certainly the most memorable at least.
December 4, 2016
Great finish to a great trilogy, Jerek and Kayne are probably my favorite characters among all fanatasy books i read
June 13, 2021
Ich habe mich ewig davor gesträubt, den letzten Teil der Grim Company-Bücher zu lesen. Einerseits lag das daran, dass mich die ersten beiden Teile nicht außergewöhnlich beeindrucken konnten, andererseits an der fehlenden deutschen Übersetzung. Denn normalerweise versuche ich, Reihen komplett auf der Sprache zu lesen, auf der ich sie begonnen habe. Da eine Übersetzung mir mittlerweile etwas unwahrscheinlich erschien und die Prequel-Kurzgeschichte A Ring to Rule Them All mein Interesse wiederentfachte, habe ich mich doch zum Lesen überwunden – zum Glück.
Die ersten ca. 300 Seiten von Dead Man's Steel sind ein starkes Buch. Besonders die Charaktere sind ein großer Pluspunkt, da ein jeder von ihnen eine eigene Persönlichkeit sowie eine eigene „Stimme“ hat. Vor allem Davarus Cole, den ich in den Vorgängerbänden eigentlich nicht mochte, gefiel mir sehr. Außerdem schreitet die Geschichte schnell voran und ist gefüllt mit genau der richtigen Menge an Action.
Leider ist der letzte Teil des Buchs nicht ansatzweise so gut. Hier geht alles drunter und drüber, sogar so weit, dass die dort stattfindende Handlung gar keinen Sinn ergibt (ein Toter kommt plötzlich zurück, schafft es, sich bei den Feinden einzuschleichen und deren kampferprobten Anführer zu töten). Es wirkt, als hätte der Autor versucht, im letzten Viertel des Buchs alle Handlungsstränge aufzulösen. Meiner Meinung nach hätte er sich das in einigen Fällen lieber sparen und einige Schicksale offenlassen sollen, oder aber sich mehr Zeit für die Auflösung lassen sollen.
Problematisch sind außerdem die Fehler im Buch. Immer wieder werden mehrere Wörter am Stück zusammengeschrieben. Das passiert nicht permanent, aber doch auffällig oft. Möglicherweise entstand das Buch unter größerem Zeitdruck. Schade, denn mit einem besseren Schlussteil und einer gründlicheren Korrektur wäre hier mehr zu holen gewesen.
Dead Man’s Steel stellt für mich einen soliden Abschluss einer ebenso soliden Trilogie dar, die viel ungenutztes Potential hat. Ich bin gespannt auf die nächsten Bücher des Autors!
Die ersten ca. 300 Seiten von Dead Man's Steel sind ein starkes Buch. Besonders die Charaktere sind ein großer Pluspunkt, da ein jeder von ihnen eine eigene Persönlichkeit sowie eine eigene „Stimme“ hat. Vor allem Davarus Cole, den ich in den Vorgängerbänden eigentlich nicht mochte, gefiel mir sehr. Außerdem schreitet die Geschichte schnell voran und ist gefüllt mit genau der richtigen Menge an Action.
Leider ist der letzte Teil des Buchs nicht ansatzweise so gut. Hier geht alles drunter und drüber, sogar so weit, dass die dort stattfindende Handlung gar keinen Sinn ergibt (ein Toter kommt plötzlich zurück, schafft es, sich bei den Feinden einzuschleichen und deren kampferprobten Anführer zu töten). Es wirkt, als hätte der Autor versucht, im letzten Viertel des Buchs alle Handlungsstränge aufzulösen. Meiner Meinung nach hätte er sich das in einigen Fällen lieber sparen und einige Schicksale offenlassen sollen, oder aber sich mehr Zeit für die Auflösung lassen sollen.
Problematisch sind außerdem die Fehler im Buch. Immer wieder werden mehrere Wörter am Stück zusammengeschrieben. Das passiert nicht permanent, aber doch auffällig oft. Möglicherweise entstand das Buch unter größerem Zeitdruck. Schade, denn mit einem besseren Schlussteil und einer gründlicheren Korrektur wäre hier mehr zu holen gewesen.
Dead Man’s Steel stellt für mich einen soliden Abschluss einer ebenso soliden Trilogie dar, die viel ungenutztes Potential hat. Ich bin gespannt auf die nächsten Bücher des Autors!
August 31, 2017
Hey! You've got your SciFi in my Fantasy!
Pretty good finale for the Grim Company, though I'd call this one the third best of the series. So, a tiny bit of let-down at the ending. Still, I devoured this series and had great fun reading all 3 of the books.
Pretty good finale for the Grim Company, though I'd call this one the third best of the series. So, a tiny bit of let-down at the ending. Still, I devoured this series and had great fun reading all 3 of the books.
February 6, 2017
The book was very good and if you like the grimdark genre, this is definitely the ideal series for you.
The Grim Company is reunited for the last impossible challenge and we discover more about the mysterious Fade, which turned out quite different from what I expected, but are still quite fascinating, even if unsettling.
The Age of Ruin is at its top and more destruction and deaths are to come, while only our small group of unlikely and flawed heroes seems to try to oppose.
The characters are well developed, especially their flaws, so it was difficult to feel something positive for them, but in grimdark fantasy, with no clear good vs. evil, I guess it is to be expected somewhat.
Well, except for the two warriors from the North of course, with a special mention to the Wolf.
It is simply impossible not to love him.
However until the end I was very unsure about my rating, not because of the quality of the book, but because of the general atmosphere of series.
For me this was too grimdark.
We started the series in the Age of Ruin so the situation was desperate and after three books, and a lot of deaths and destruction, we are in a even worst situation and without a visible hope of improvement.
I know life is not always happiness and joy and that the new trend in fantasy is to stick to realism, but this is not what I look for in fantasy books.
For that I could read newspapers.
I do not want the perfect hero without flaws and I am happy with shades of grey instead of a clear black against white, but at least I would like a little hope at the end.
Here you do not have even that and it is quite depressing.
Just like the newspapers actually...
The Grim Company is reunited for the last impossible challenge and we discover more about the mysterious Fade, which turned out quite different from what I expected, but are still quite fascinating, even if unsettling.
The Age of Ruin is at its top and more destruction and deaths are to come, while only our small group of unlikely and flawed heroes seems to try to oppose.
The characters are well developed, especially their flaws, so it was difficult to feel something positive for them, but in grimdark fantasy, with no clear good vs. evil, I guess it is to be expected somewhat.
Well, except for the two warriors from the North of course, with a special mention to the Wolf.
It is simply impossible not to love him.
However until the end I was very unsure about my rating, not because of the quality of the book, but because of the general atmosphere of series.
For me this was too grimdark.
We started the series in the Age of Ruin so the situation was desperate and after three books, and a lot of deaths and destruction, we are in a even worst situation and without a visible hope of improvement.
I know life is not always happiness and joy and that the new trend in fantasy is to stick to realism, but this is not what I look for in fantasy books.
For that I could read newspapers.
I do not want the perfect hero without flaws and I am happy with shades of grey instead of a clear black against white, but at least I would like a little hope at the end.
Here you do not have even that and it is quite depressing.
Just like the newspapers actually...
April 25, 2017
Great ending to an enjoyable trilogy
January 16, 2019
Well.
Spend 3 books building up a conflict with the Herald > Have the "final battle" be about as anti-climatic as can possibly be. Luke spends so much time building up the conflict with the Demon's to have it end with no real battles vs the Demons, and when they fight the Herald it's asleep and the whole ordeal is over in a page. I'm more character development and dialogue oriented than action (action isn't even a secondary appeal to me) but oh my God this was underwhelming as can possibly be.
Predictable "twist" of allies who were supposed to destroy humanity and talk about how humanity is a scourge kill basically all the interesting characters immediately after they accomplish their mutual goal.
Leave the two most poorly written and irritating characters before and after their development arcs essentially be the two sole survivors.
End the series on an anti-climatic note in general.
I really enjoyed the first two books, but man this one was about as pleasant as drinking toilet water. I'm not even upset characters die (I generally am upset if characters do not die; I expect people to die, I want them to die so it can be impactful) but this book was just a cluster bomb of bad.
This is one of the worst books I read in 2018. What a monumental let down.
Spend 3 books building up a conflict with the Herald > Have the "final battle" be about as anti-climatic as can possibly be. Luke spends so much time building up the conflict with the Demon's to have it end with no real battles vs the Demons, and when they fight the Herald it's asleep and the whole ordeal is over in a page. I'm more character development and dialogue oriented than action (action isn't even a secondary appeal to me) but oh my God this was underwhelming as can possibly be.
Predictable "twist" of allies who were supposed to destroy humanity and talk about how humanity is a scourge kill basically all the interesting characters immediately after they accomplish their mutual goal.
Leave the two most poorly written and irritating characters before and after their development arcs essentially be the two sole survivors.
End the series on an anti-climatic note in general.
I really enjoyed the first two books, but man this one was about as pleasant as drinking toilet water. I'm not even upset characters die (I generally am upset if characters do not die; I expect people to die, I want them to die so it can be impactful) but this book was just a cluster bomb of bad.
This is one of the worst books I read in 2018. What a monumental let down.
December 27, 2016
This is the 3rd book in "The Grim Company" trilogy by Luke Scull. This is an epic Fantasy adventure with all the elements a great fantasy needs. In my reviews of the last two books I mentioned that they had everything a great Fantasy needs except a dragon. Well this one has the dragon! In this one the Grim Company reunites to fight an invasion of demons from out of the north and an invasion of Fade, an immortal and nearly indestructible race, from across the ocean. Both the demons and the Fade are intent on destroying mankind and the Grim Company and some of their enemy's have to unite to fight them both off. They prevail in the end but I must warn you that the ending is bitter sweet. I highly recommend this book and this series to all Fantasy fans. I can't wait to see what Luke Scull comes up with next! He is now on my list of favorite Fantasy authors!
April 6, 2017
It has the same gritty tone as the other books in the series and the characters come back, and keep coming back...
The book is full of death and heroes coming back from death, or at least the very brink of death.
It is also a book of multiple endings. An ending is not necessarily the end, even the end might not be the end, though it might be.
I enjoyed the story and characters, there is a lot crammed into the pages and the pace rarely drops. A fitting, and exciting end to the series.
The book is full of death and heroes coming back from death, or at least the very brink of death.
It is also a book of multiple endings. An ending is not necessarily the end, even the end might not be the end, though it might be.
I enjoyed the story and characters, there is a lot crammed into the pages and the pace rarely drops. A fitting, and exciting end to the series.
March 7, 2019
A satisfying conclusion to the trilogy in terms of the story, as far as I'm concerned. It builds up on a grand scale, escalates the tension and conflicts, and delivers a enjoyable climax. Although some readers are somehow disappointed in the manner the story progressed, I'm actually quite enthusiastic and intrigued after reading it. Scull has explored the mythical Fade and their motivations, while giving a vivid picture of the decrepit conditions humanity is in. There isn't clear demarcations of heroes and villains here. One could easily fathom and understand the Fade and their distrust in human civilization, and also the humanity's fear about them. This is a story about choices that the characters make despite the shitty situation and circumstances. This is a story where the world is painted in grey, where good and evil has no clear definitions. I will say that this is one of the best grimdark fantasy novels I have read this year.
I liked the way how Scull has mixed elements of steampunk, and sci-fi along with the spirit of epic fantasy. The mythology is nicely integrated, though there is enough scope for further development. I absolutely loved reading about the Fade, their sense of wisdom, efficiency, and brutality. Scull did a clever job of showing them in their power and glory, though it is somewhat diminished to their ancestors. I hope that Scull writes a full-length novel around the Fade, regarding their conflict with the Elves, dragonkind, their conflict with the Demons and the Nameless, giving us more information about ''the time before''. I bet, it would be one hell of a book. It was also excellent to see how the imminent clash between the Fade and humanity is staged for a final showdown, and there is a lot of speculation and counter-maneuvers in regards to this, in which each of our familiar characters has a role to play.
We see two different sides of the story in this book. The white Lady and her lover are the last two magelords in the world who has the power and magic to thwart the Fade, and they are a dynamic duo. Meanwhile Brodar Kayne and his group fights a desperate battle with demons and migrates to the lowlands in search of food and shelter. Sasha is experimented upon, and she somehow survives, being like a kind of human cyborg with advanced senses and telekinesis. Davarus Cole goes on an errand in order to unite humanity to oppose the Fade in accordance to the wishes of the White Lady. The godly essence of the Reaver now resides within his soul, and makes him a terrifying killer, while he tries to control it and refuses to succumb it at the same time. I enjoyed the way how things played out, though it appeared to be a little contrived. But, somehow it managed to give a fitting end, which was sort of bittersweet, given the amount of grimness. I'm definitely excited to see what Luke Scull comes up with next, because, he has the talent and a brilliant imagination.
I liked the way how Scull has mixed elements of steampunk, and sci-fi along with the spirit of epic fantasy. The mythology is nicely integrated, though there is enough scope for further development. I absolutely loved reading about the Fade, their sense of wisdom, efficiency, and brutality. Scull did a clever job of showing them in their power and glory, though it is somewhat diminished to their ancestors. I hope that Scull writes a full-length novel around the Fade, regarding their conflict with the Elves, dragonkind, their conflict with the Demons and the Nameless, giving us more information about ''the time before''. I bet, it would be one hell of a book. It was also excellent to see how the imminent clash between the Fade and humanity is staged for a final showdown, and there is a lot of speculation and counter-maneuvers in regards to this, in which each of our familiar characters has a role to play.
We see two different sides of the story in this book. The white Lady and her lover are the last two magelords in the world who has the power and magic to thwart the Fade, and they are a dynamic duo. Meanwhile Brodar Kayne and his group fights a desperate battle with demons and migrates to the lowlands in search of food and shelter. Sasha is experimented upon, and she somehow survives, being like a kind of human cyborg with advanced senses and telekinesis. Davarus Cole goes on an errand in order to unite humanity to oppose the Fade in accordance to the wishes of the White Lady. The godly essence of the Reaver now resides within his soul, and makes him a terrifying killer, while he tries to control it and refuses to succumb it at the same time. I enjoyed the way how things played out, though it appeared to be a little contrived. But, somehow it managed to give a fitting end, which was sort of bittersweet, given the amount of grimness. I'm definitely excited to see what Luke Scull comes up with next, because, he has the talent and a brilliant imagination.
July 31, 2021
Fenomenal!
December 28, 2016
Not only a poor final entry to a mediocre series, but a poor fantasy novel in general. Completely bereft of tension, good characters, or even an interesting plot and, worst of all, the story takes you through a journey with no apparent direction. You will end up lost, confused, and desperately trying to decide why you stuck out this 15 hour slog.
Since the Grim Company series started with its eponymous first entry I have been quite critical of nearly every aspect of it. The reason I continued reading through was because I was intrigued by the concept of these powerful mages decimating the gods who had ruled over them, and was so eager to see the events come full circle. This does not happen. Instead what we are presented with is about five different stories all twisted in to one book, all of it relating only briefly to what came before. And without a doubt this is the worst entry in the series.
So after the Sword of the North’s climax, the Fade (or fehd) have attacked the Trine and see Humans to be unworthy of their existence, and seek to wipe them out. There is one though that sees potential in those he has lived so long amongst; Isaac, and he puts his faith in the humans once more as he tries to argue for their vindication. At the same time the Demons are causing havoc in the north, as Brodar Kayne seeks to free his son from Krazka and reunite with his wife, and Davarus Cole and Sasha find themselves in an uneasy alliance with the White Lady.
Considering the paltry length of this novel, there are so many threads that no one aspect is given the time it deserves. What Scull succeeds in doing is creating a life or death situation for his protagonists, then resolves it within a dozen pages. You never feel the tension of the situation, or that our heroes are ever truly in any threat. And this happens constantly throughout the story, with every element rushed and decided within such a short amount of time that it removes any joy from reading the exploits unfold.
To read the full review please visit my site.
Since the Grim Company series started with its eponymous first entry I have been quite critical of nearly every aspect of it. The reason I continued reading through was because I was intrigued by the concept of these powerful mages decimating the gods who had ruled over them, and was so eager to see the events come full circle. This does not happen. Instead what we are presented with is about five different stories all twisted in to one book, all of it relating only briefly to what came before. And without a doubt this is the worst entry in the series.
So after the Sword of the North’s climax, the Fade (or fehd) have attacked the Trine and see Humans to be unworthy of their existence, and seek to wipe them out. There is one though that sees potential in those he has lived so long amongst; Isaac, and he puts his faith in the humans once more as he tries to argue for their vindication. At the same time the Demons are causing havoc in the north, as Brodar Kayne seeks to free his son from Krazka and reunite with his wife, and Davarus Cole and Sasha find themselves in an uneasy alliance with the White Lady.
Considering the paltry length of this novel, there are so many threads that no one aspect is given the time it deserves. What Scull succeeds in doing is creating a life or death situation for his protagonists, then resolves it within a dozen pages. You never feel the tension of the situation, or that our heroes are ever truly in any threat. And this happens constantly throughout the story, with every element rushed and decided within such a short amount of time that it removes any joy from reading the exploits unfold.
To read the full review please visit my site.
December 13, 2016
My first thoughts on reading the first book of this trilogy was that this mofo has ripped off JA , and whilst there are parallels I'm pleased to say I was wrong , I thoroughly enjoyed all 3 books , strong characters I was sad to see the back of and a satisfying conclusion. There's plenty of action and also an interesting subtext about the nature of the world the story takes place in that is alluded to throughout. Looking forward to seeing more from The Scull.
April 4, 2018
Je to spis dve a pul hvezdy, ale slabe. V podstate od pulky jsem to docital na silu, abych dojel trilogii. To, co me bavilo v predchazejicich dvou dilech, zde zcela vymizelo. Spousty nelogickych dejovych zvratu, odbocek, osob deus ex machina. Monstrozni vyvrazdovacka a masivni vybijeni hlavnich postav v zaveru included. Jako sorry, ale dlouho jsem nevidel takhle zprasenej zaver. A Davarus Cole...
February 11, 2017
Dead Man's Steel (The Grim Company, #3) - Luke Scull | Roc 2017, 450 páginas |Lido de 9 de Fevereiro a 11 de Fevereiro, 2017 | Nota 4 em 5
SINOPSE
Na cidade de Torres, ex-rebelde Sasha e seu companheiro Davarus Cole lutam para manter a paz entre os magos rivais que disputam o domínio. Mas quando a Dama Branca envia Davarus sul aos reinos Despedaçadas a procurar aliados entre os reinos caídos, ele descobre que sua batalha mais difícil pode ser um travada dentro. A essência divina agora residindo dentro dele oferece uma potência que poderia ser usado contra o Fade-mas com cada morte que o alimenta, Cole corre o risco de perder uma parte de si mesmo.
Uma associação com um oficial desvanece-se concede ao Halfmage Eremul uma posição de privilégio entre os novos senhores do Dorminia. Ele testemunha em primeira mão o destino que aguarda a humanidade. Mas com sua magia lamentável em face da tecnologia avançada da Fade, o Halfmage deve confiar em seu juízo sozinho para salvar quem ele pode ...
E no norte congelado, o guerreiro lendário Brodar Kayne luta uma batalha desesperada para o seu povo. Ele está correndo contra o tempo: um antigo mal selados sob as montanhas está prestes a se libertar, um mal que é mais velho que a humanidade, mais velhos do que o Fade, mais velhos, mesmo que os deuses e não vai parar até que o mundo inteiro está afogado no sangue ...
RESENHA
Um final metade épico doidimais, metade porra-louca nihilista e até sombrio demais além da conta! A trilogia Grim Company é fantástica e satisfaz totalmente os fãs de fantasia brutal, porém, e esse é o problema de muitas narrativas com diversos pontos de vista, a história dos bárbaros do norte, Brodar Kayne e seu parceiro Wold, é forte e dramática demais, fantástica demais, e diminui, em comparação, as outras narrativas.
A sensação que tive ao ler o final foi de dois livros misturados, um, uma saga fantástica de um guerreiro nórdico aproximando o final de uma vida de violência e guerra, e outro uma mistureba pulp com fantasia, alienígenas, demônios, monstros cósmicos estilão lovecraft, deuses mortos e o escambau.
Acho que o que me incomodou foi a quantidade de material e elementos novos introduzidos no final do segundo livro e em todo esse terceiro livro. São forças antagonistas demais para uma trilogia, e me passou um climão meio "caotiqueira", como um mestre de RPG que já está cansado de uma linha narrativa e começa a colocar novos vilões na história que acabam criando um "mexidão" que diverte mas que perde um pouco do foco inicial da campanha.
Eu curti muito todas as duas narrativas, mas, muitas vezes, a passagem de um registro para o outro foi um pouco dramática. E nesse último livro, o terceiro ato pecou por isso, com a saga descambando para um final bem D&Dzão, que, apesar de muito bem feito, me deixou um pouco desapontado, em comparação com a qualidade do segundo livro da trilogia.
Mesmo assim um final mega-épico doidimais, ultradark e muito, mas muito imaginativo! Recomendadíssimo!
SINOPSE
Na cidade de Torres, ex-rebelde Sasha e seu companheiro Davarus Cole lutam para manter a paz entre os magos rivais que disputam o domínio. Mas quando a Dama Branca envia Davarus sul aos reinos Despedaçadas a procurar aliados entre os reinos caídos, ele descobre que sua batalha mais difícil pode ser um travada dentro. A essência divina agora residindo dentro dele oferece uma potência que poderia ser usado contra o Fade-mas com cada morte que o alimenta, Cole corre o risco de perder uma parte de si mesmo.
Uma associação com um oficial desvanece-se concede ao Halfmage Eremul uma posição de privilégio entre os novos senhores do Dorminia. Ele testemunha em primeira mão o destino que aguarda a humanidade. Mas com sua magia lamentável em face da tecnologia avançada da Fade, o Halfmage deve confiar em seu juízo sozinho para salvar quem ele pode ...
E no norte congelado, o guerreiro lendário Brodar Kayne luta uma batalha desesperada para o seu povo. Ele está correndo contra o tempo: um antigo mal selados sob as montanhas está prestes a se libertar, um mal que é mais velho que a humanidade, mais velhos do que o Fade, mais velhos, mesmo que os deuses e não vai parar até que o mundo inteiro está afogado no sangue ...
RESENHA
Um final metade épico doidimais, metade porra-louca nihilista e até sombrio demais além da conta! A trilogia Grim Company é fantástica e satisfaz totalmente os fãs de fantasia brutal, porém, e esse é o problema de muitas narrativas com diversos pontos de vista, a história dos bárbaros do norte, Brodar Kayne e seu parceiro Wold, é forte e dramática demais, fantástica demais, e diminui, em comparação, as outras narrativas.
A sensação que tive ao ler o final foi de dois livros misturados, um, uma saga fantástica de um guerreiro nórdico aproximando o final de uma vida de violência e guerra, e outro uma mistureba pulp com fantasia, alienígenas, demônios, monstros cósmicos estilão lovecraft, deuses mortos e o escambau.
Acho que o que me incomodou foi a quantidade de material e elementos novos introduzidos no final do segundo livro e em todo esse terceiro livro. São forças antagonistas demais para uma trilogia, e me passou um climão meio "caotiqueira", como um mestre de RPG que já está cansado de uma linha narrativa e começa a colocar novos vilões na história que acabam criando um "mexidão" que diverte mas que perde um pouco do foco inicial da campanha.
Eu curti muito todas as duas narrativas, mas, muitas vezes, a passagem de um registro para o outro foi um pouco dramática. E nesse último livro, o terceiro ato pecou por isso, com a saga descambando para um final bem D&Dzão, que, apesar de muito bem feito, me deixou um pouco desapontado, em comparação com a qualidade do segundo livro da trilogia.
Mesmo assim um final mega-épico doidimais, ultradark e muito, mas muito imaginativo! Recomendadíssimo!
April 18, 2022
Tohle bylo opravdu nečekané. Příběh se dost posunul a byl o dost zajímavější, než v předchozích dvou dílech. Vidím v tom strašně velký potenciál, i když mi přijde, že se autor sotva dotkl povrchu. Z postav mi k srdci přirostl nejvíc Vlk a Kayne, ostatní mi moc nepadli do oka. A to, co se dělo na pozadí, jsem tedy nečekala.
V první části knihy se to krásně rozjelo, ukázalo příběh, který byl tak jiný a neobvyklý. Alespoň do doby, než připluli Mizející a tak nějak to zničili. Fakt, že autor použil tuhle rasu jako něco víc, která ovládá technologie, mi přišlo trošku moc. Vůbec se mi to do děje nehodilo. Ke všemu se skákalo z jednoho tématu do druhého, lidé bozi, tihle Mizející, do toho démoni, draci a já nevím co ještě. Válka s jedněmi, válka s druhými, válka s vlastními. Najednou to působilo dost překombinovaně a ničilo dojem, který jsem si do té doby vytvořila.
Už jsem se radovala, jak skvěle se to všechno vyvrbilo, jak je to napínavé, jenže to nakonec dost sklouzlo a výsledný dojem změnilo. A nepomohl tomu ani závěr, který se neustále prodlužoval, až to vypadalo, že konec nikdy nepřijde. Který mě navíc tak nějak naštval, až jsem zuřila. Takové zvraty těsně před koncem nemám zrovna ráda a tady jsem se jich dočkala rovnou třikrát. Když už jsem myslela, že se blížím k poslednímu rozloučení s příběhem, kdy autor všechno vysvětlí a uzavře, bum, další útok a je to zase jinak. A to nebyl dobrý nápad. Epilog už byl přehnaný sám o sobě.
Takže nakonec jsem nucena dát zase jen tři hvězdičky a přitom to vypadalo tak nadějně... ☹️
V první části knihy se to krásně rozjelo, ukázalo příběh, který byl tak jiný a neobvyklý. Alespoň do doby, než připluli Mizející a tak nějak to zničili. Fakt, že autor použil tuhle rasu jako něco víc, která ovládá technologie, mi přišlo trošku moc. Vůbec se mi to do děje nehodilo. Ke všemu se skákalo z jednoho tématu do druhého, lidé bozi, tihle Mizející, do toho démoni, draci a já nevím co ještě. Válka s jedněmi, válka s druhými, válka s vlastními. Najednou to působilo dost překombinovaně a ničilo dojem, který jsem si do té doby vytvořila.
Už jsem se radovala, jak skvěle se to všechno vyvrbilo, jak je to napínavé, jenže to nakonec dost sklouzlo a výsledný dojem změnilo. A nepomohl tomu ani závěr, který se neustále prodlužoval, až to vypadalo, že konec nikdy nepřijde. Který mě navíc tak nějak naštval, až jsem zuřila. Takové zvraty těsně před koncem nemám zrovna ráda a tady jsem se jich dočkala rovnou třikrát. Když už jsem myslela, že se blížím k poslednímu rozloučení s příběhem, kdy autor všechno vysvětlí a uzavře, bum, další útok a je to zase jinak. A to nebyl dobrý nápad. Epilog už byl přehnaný sám o sobě.
Takže nakonec jsem nucena dát zase jen tři hvězdičky a přitom to vypadalo tak nadějně... ☹️
September 18, 2017
Dead Man’s Steel is book 3 of 3 in The Grim Company series. I did enjoy this book, but I found the previous two books better. The storytelling didn’t seem to flow as well as the previous two, not until the last 3rd of it. I enjoyed how the series wrapped up and it even left a small opening for another book if the author wanted to expand the series.
I thought the inclusion of the Fade and their technology was a bit much, considering the first two books centered on a civilization of where machines really didn’t exist. I think the Fade without their technology would still have been a force to deal with and would have served the purpose the author was trying to show.
Going into this book you know that there won’t be a happy ending for everyone. The grim theme from the previous two books carries into this book as expected. It was always fun reading about Kayne and Jerek, and the journeys the two had. The bond that those two had and the experiences they shared together (“The two men had been brothers-in-arms, as close in their own way as any blood relatives”).
I thought the inclusion of the Fade and their technology was a bit much, considering the first two books centered on a civilization of where machines really didn’t exist. I think the Fade without their technology would still have been a force to deal with and would have served the purpose the author was trying to show.
Going into this book you know that there won’t be a happy ending for everyone. The grim theme from the previous two books carries into this book as expected. It was always fun reading about Kayne and Jerek, and the journeys the two had. The bond that those two had and the experiences they shared together (“The two men had been brothers-in-arms, as close in their own way as any blood relatives”).
September 3, 2017
Gods above and below. I can't remember a book that has sucker-punched me this hard. It was merciless, didn't care who you loved or what you hoped for them. It completely breaks you and leaves you screaming "why why why"... and yet... I still loved it and still recommend it. The story was as intense as the previous two books, packed to the brim with betrayal and heartbreak. I can count on one hand how many truly happy moments there were, and still have fingers to spare. It was great to see more characters progress and grow, face demons both literal and figurative, and endure despite the heart-wrenching trials thrown their way. I'm not going to lie––I wish the book ended sooner, since the last 80 pages or so had me freaking out and saying "what the @#$% is happening? No no no!" But I'm not the author, and I do have to admit that the epilogue was awesome, and one character near the end made my heart swell with respect. Do I wish things had gone differently for some of the characters I've come to adore? YES!! But this isn't a story meant to have a traditional happy ending. It's about perseverance despite truly unfathomable odds. It's about loss and acceptance and learning to be happy with the life you have, no matter how wretched it might be at the time. And you know what, writing that now, I can see that I was wrong. Despite what I wanted for these characters, I can't imagine this story ending any other way.
April 19, 2025
This was the last book I had left from about 9 years ago when my reading gradually fell off to the point where I was reading only one or two novels per year. I managed to find a couple of synopses of the first two books in the series, but nothing detailed online, so my memory is sketchy of the details, but I was absolutely a fan of them both. Which is why I've settled on three stars here, as although Dead Man's Steel was extremely fast-paced and full of action, a number of the big moments did not quite land for me - likely due it being too long between outings with the Brodar Kayne and co.
3 Human Civilizations Caught in the Middle for Dead Man's Steel.
3 Human Civilizations Caught in the Middle for Dead Man's Steel.
September 7, 2024
Zeker het eerste gedeelte is beter als de voorgaande boeken, maar het tweede gedeelte is wat zwakjes. Je moet er wat fantasie voor hebben. Beetje voorspelbaar en zoals in allerdrie boeken veel dood en verderf en bijna alle hoofdpersonen komen aan hun einde. Ik zal niet snel meer boeken van deze schrijven lezen.
November 9, 2020
Decent end to the trilogy, enjoyed this one more than the last. Kayne's story was great.
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