What’s a dwarf to do when his past catches up with him? Banished from the Dwarven mountains of his youth, Tuad Silvermane, part-time executioner, and full-time drunk, has made a home for himself in the human city of Leviathan Loch. A home now at risk from a threat unlike any they’ve dealt with before. One that will destroy their fledgling kingdom, collapsing it like a mine with rotten supports. Will Tuad finally learn that not every problem is solved with the sharp edge of an axe or hid from in the bottom of the bottle?
What’s a dwarf to do when she catches up to her past? Sent from her mountain home to negotiate treaties with the new human kingdom at their border, Harrow Lavaheart has made the dangerous trek to a city controlled by powerful men and a dwarf she has not seen in decades. A dwarf who’s connection to her runs deeper than the roots of the mountain. Will Harrow finally learn that not every problem is solved with the sharp edge of her tongue? Or will she lose it all in an earthquake of anger that collapses her carefully maintained façade?
Can the two dwarves build a bridge that spans the gulf of their past and connects the future of the disparate nations? Or will their hate for each other fill the streets of Leviathan Loch?
I'm really not a regular reader of fantasy. I tend more toward speculative fiction, or classics, or modern humor. So to pick up a fantasy novel and find myself hooked from the first paragraph to the final period was a remarkable experience. The world Mark Miller has created feels alive and as tangible as what's outside my window. The characters are not two dimensional tropes. The action is pulse-pounding, the emotions strong, and the tale absolutely satisfying.
I bought this story after reading a negative review by a reader who admitted that he hadn't finished the book. The objections cited were potentially off putting, those objections are rendered moot in the resolution of the story. A better editor may be able to po!ish cruise work a bit,but all in all, I think this one is a keeper. I look forward to reading more from this author.