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The Culling, the genocide of humanity.

It almost ended us.

It still might.

Six years ago, the dark elves murdered most of humanity. Thanks to the sacrifice of Elizabeth “Gunz” Chambers, some few survived, safe behind walled shelters. For now.

Former Special Forces operator Alex Benoit is a broken man. Driven to rage by the evil of the dark elves, he and his team of rangers hunt them in the wilderness of northern Canada. No weapon is forbidden, no method too severe. But Alex has stared too long into the abyss and vengeance comes at a cost.

A cost that others may have to pay.

When a new gateway opens between worlds, Alex joins a desperate expedition to the dark elves’ home world. Their mission: to forge an alliance between dwarves and humanity. Only together can both races stand a chance against the might of the dark elves and their wicked queen Tuatha de Talinor.

If they fail, it won’t just be the end of the Dark-Elf War.

It’ll be the end of all human life.

You’ll love this final book in the epic urban fantasy/military sci-fi Dark Elf War trilogy by former Army officer William Stacey because of his breathless pacing, believable characters, and non-stop action.

552 pages, Paperback

First published February 10, 2019

74 people are currently reading
56 people want to read

About the author

William Stacey

125 books92 followers
A former soldier, William Stacey served his country for more than thirty years, including multiple combat tours in Bosnia and Afghanistan. William loves exercise and all things martial and is a black belt in karate.

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5 stars
209 (73%)
4 stars
59 (20%)
3 stars
12 (4%)
2 stars
3 (1%)
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2 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
7 reviews1 follower
February 12, 2019
What an explosive finish to an amazing trilogy. This installment follows Ranger (Alex Benoit) as he battles his personal demons and the literal ones (Fae, Trolls, etc.) from Faerum and Earth.

This is a well written novel that, once again, shows the awful ramifications of war without making it too "real" for enjoyment. I truly enjoy this authors style of writing and would highly recommend this series (Starlight, Gunz, and Ranger) to anybody.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for The Mysterious Reader.
3,588 reviews66 followers
February 16, 2019
Yin and Yang. Good and Bad. That’s my feelings about William Stacey’s Ranger, the third and final book in his superb The Dark Elf War series. On the one hand this was a fantastic grand finale of an ending to a top notch series. Clearly that’s in the “good” column. On the other hand that means that there are no more books in the wonderful series to look forward to. No way to classify that as anything but falling in the “bad” column. Alex, Leela, Heidi and company more than get the job done. Yes there are sacrifices but in a magical land like this and a final throw of the dice campaign that’s to be expected. Dark Elves and Boggarts, Dwarves and Dragons. Fantastic characters you love to get invested in all the way through the final confrontation with the Dark Elves’ wicked queen, Tuatha de Talinor. This is is heady, powerful stuff but totally fun at the same time. Fans of this series will be euphoric by its end. Newcomers can enjoy this book on a standalone basis too, but it’s vastly better to get the full impact by starting with book 1. But for the fact that I’m literally dictating this review to my husband from my hospital bed I could go on and on with praises. The book definitely deserves it. Since I can’t do that I will simply note that the book is most definitely one to read, and it is easy to highly recommend.
Profile Image for AllanM.
5 reviews
February 27, 2019
A fitting, attention grabbing finish to the Dark Elf series

William Stacey has delivered another quality work - attention holding, entertaining, fantasy and futuristic technology blended with real world human experience. In the Dark Elf War series, he draws on his prior military experience to introduce realism to the fantasy elements of the war between the elves and humans. As a final story in the series this book could stand alone, yet it completes the trilogy perfectly. Actually - I would have liked the book longer than most authors and publishers agree is the right length, and I would like to see a continuation.

I have been an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) reader and reviewer for a while now - William Stacey has never failed to deliver a quality product with no, or very few typos and errors. His writing style is good, no fault with grammar or plot and character development in my mind. I received a free ARC copy of the book for an honest opinion with no expectation of any reward other than to read the book before publication.
Profile Image for Anne Monteith.
588 reviews23 followers
February 14, 2019
The Dark Elves are still fighting on many fronts; the Queen is trying to fight the war on many fronts. The dragons are pissed at he, two of her daughters and many of her subjects are fighting against her which helps those remaining on Earth in their fight against them and the other horrors she brought to Earth. The human return the Fae Seelie Empire seeking and alliance with the dwarves to save the Earth from the Dark Elves.

All our favorite characters are back for the final showdown in the epic conclusion to a story that has been written by a master. Throughout the series, you could tell this was written by a person with military experience and knowhow. This is a must read for lovers of Dark Fantasy.

4.5/5 STARS: **I received an advanced from the author through Booksprout in exchange for an honest review. I would like to thank the author and everyone involved in this process for this opportunity. **
1,062 reviews18 followers
July 26, 2019
This third book in the Dark Elf Wars was loaded with super special tech gadgets for military and survival uses. It was what I would call an epic war and action packed story about surviving by whatever means possible without destroying the new world destination. The author puts the characters through not only physical pain, but even moreso through mental and psychological pain, whether through physical torture or through their own guilt manifested in their dreams. It was also a moving story about the love people have for each other and what they would willingly go through for it to survive and flourish. The battle scenes were vividly described, but not all ghouly and grisly like many other books. It is often difficult to distinguish who the "good guys" are and who the "bad guys" are. This is a rather late voluntary review of an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from Booksprout.
Profile Image for Julie.
281 reviews5 followers
February 19, 2019
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A GREAT ENDING!!

William Stacey outdid himself with this third book “Ranger” in the trilogy “ The Dark Elf War “ This trilogy is a very dramatic dark fantasy. You have to read Mr Stacey’s books very carefully because there is so much going on in so many fronts. Ranger was the best of all three but not by much. There is never ending action, thrills and spills galore! He keeps you riveted to the page. The dark elves continue to try and take over but every front they go to they are blocked by Alex Bonoit and his team! Great realistic battles with futuristic weapons and any monster you could think of keeps you reading. Important lessons are learned, especially by Alex Bonoit. You’ll have to read this book plus the other two and decide for yourself. Me, I loved it.
1,918 reviews18 followers
July 15, 2020
Fans of Jerry Pournelle or David Weber or David Drake, you need to read this series (not that I've read books 1 and 2 in this series yet). The action is fast-paced and realistic, the conflict between technology and magic intriguing, but it is the personal element that really grabbed my attention. The interaction between PTSD, rage, revenge and redemption is enthralling and speaks to anyone who has any idea how psychologically damaging war and peace can be and the kinds of moral dilemmas that every warrior has to face. Now, where did I put books 1 and 2?

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Dave Wickenden.
Author 9 books108 followers
February 13, 2019
Out of this World!
And deep into Faerum, the home of the Dark Elves and their blood thirsty armies.

This third installment has all our favorite characters back for a little payback. With the Earth contaminated because of the damage left behind by the evil Fae Queen Tuatha de Talinor culling machine, the humans need to find a new home. But they’ll have one hell of a fight on their hands.

Stacey offers up the most action-packed story yet. The depths of this savage world in all its raw splendor is displayed by a master storyteller.

I don't want this story to end!
299 reviews4 followers
February 28, 2019
Just when you thought life on the new earth can't get worse, it does. The adventure continue, lives are thrown into chaos as our friends must once again brave the not so unknown. Meet interesting new characters, animals and a new understanding why things happen the way it did. Loved the fast pace and action with a bit of rekindled love thrown into the mix. Really enjoyed this book - couldn't put it down. A must read!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Dave.
747 reviews7 followers
February 13, 2019
This conclusion to the Trilogy started in Starlight and Gunz was a wonderful read. The great story continued to a solid conclusion, characters continued to evolve and grow and healed. Non-stop action and intrigue to keep you up reading all night. It kept me reading long after I should have been sleeping.
I was pleased to be able to read an ARC and this review is my own opinion. I look forward to buying the book.
Profile Image for Dave.
747 reviews7 followers
February 13, 2019
This conclusion to the Trilogy started in Starlight and Gunz was a wonderful read. The great story continued to a solid conclusion, characters continued to evolve and grow and healed. Non-stop action and intrigue to keep you up reading all night. It kept me reading long after I should have been sleeping.
I was pleased to be able to read an ARC and this review is my own opinion. I look forward to buying the book.
6 reviews
February 17, 2019
I started this series with Gunz. I was patiently awaiting Ranger. William Stacey did not disappoint with this installment. There is a great line up of believable characters. They are interesting and multidimensional. Stacey's battle scenes are well written and conceived.

One of the things I like about the book is, you do not have to read the other books in the series to know what is going on.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
17 reviews
February 18, 2019
I received an invite for an ARC from the author and decided to read the book even though I had not read the first two books in the trilogy. I wasn’t sure that I would like the book but I ended up loving it and was able to follow the story with no issues. I strongly recommend this book, it was nonstop action, and now I need to read books 1 & 2.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
9 reviews
February 22, 2019
I'm really impressed with this book and the series overall. William has definitely come into his own; the characters are really well developed, the action scenes are well described, and the story is so gripping that I had difficulty putting it down. Do yourself a favour and read all three of the books; Starlight, Gunz and Ranger. You won't regret it.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
2,885 reviews17 followers
February 28, 2019
Mankind wasn't prepared for the consequences of their meddling in forces they don't understand. The Dark Elves have decimated the human population through their culling. In a last ditch effort to save humanity, men will once again travel to the elven world. This time they will make an effort to form an alliance with the dwarves.
Wow, fantastic conclusion to an exciting, and action packed series.

I am voluntarily leaving an honest and nonincentivized review of this ARC.
1,774 reviews9 followers
February 15, 2019
Just wow! This is such a powerful final episode to this trilogy. Each book seems to be better than the previous one, more complex and involved, with excellent world and character building. The only disappointment being that this is the end of the trilogy. This one had me gripped from start to finish.
Profile Image for Mary.
2,753 reviews23 followers
February 28, 2019
This is a fantastic, entertaining story. I don't read a lot of fantasy stories, but this one is the best I've ever read. It grabs you from page one and gets better as you go. I was completely captivated by the storyline and the characters. I highly recommend this book and this author.
I recieved a complimentary copy of this book from Booksprout. This is my honest and voluntary opinion of it.
5 reviews
March 1, 2019
This was such a fun book/series to read. Well written, a premise I'd not heard before, and full of twists and turns that kept the pace moving quickly. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would read more about these characters anytime.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for DOROTHY SILLS.
401 reviews
March 2, 2019
I read the 3-book series and enjoyed it very much. This is the story of two different worlds; one trying to survive and the other trying to destroy. The action and the characters were believable. The story will keep you wanting more. Each book changes to a different mag-sens’ story. Very good plot.
I look forward to reading more books by William Stacey.
734 reviews13 followers
March 20, 2019
Third part of the Dark Elf trilogy and can be read alone, but better with the first two. There's lots of action, but I felt it was just too convenient a solution at times when the characters were in trouble. Still a decent story to read. The aliens were unusual and interesting.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
254 reviews
March 22, 2019
Well done good all around end to series

Well written, good characters and enjoyed the twists that I did not see coming. Well worth the time and price - throughly enjoyable reading time. The story does not start where book 2 ended but it fits the storyline created and is understandable why it was necessary. This would be worth reading again if I have the time.
11 reviews
December 1, 2023
Another home run tale!

Third book of the series, just as good as the first! As I ve said, most serial stories start strong, then start repeating the same story. But not theses! Even though years have passed in the timeline, the reader is not lost, the story continues at a fast pace. You are brought into a new world where you feel, see, hear, live the story!
8 reviews
February 13, 2019
The book was awesome and in no way did it disappoint as a successor to the first two books. A very satisfying trilogy. I highly recommend this.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Holly Lenz.
928 reviews2 followers
February 15, 2019
Ranger is another amazing, intense, dark fantasy war story from William Stacey. The story is the third story in the series, so do yourself a favor and read the other two book’s first. You won’t be disappointed.
8 reviews
February 28, 2019
The third in the series and as good as the first two. Never a dull moment as the humans and friends right for their lives and the lives of everyone back on earth. I do not want to give anything away so I will just say again, read this book.
Profile Image for Carlynne Toomey.
462 reviews4 followers
March 4, 2019
This was a great read! True fantasy and highly enjoyable. The characters were well developed and entirely believable. I definitely recommend this to anyone that enjoys epic fantasy.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Pat Eroh.
2,618 reviews32 followers
March 8, 2019
The third and perhaps the best in the series, this is fast-paced and wonderful with awesome characters throughout the series. This book has it all! I highly recommend this whole series.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
84 reviews
October 8, 2019
Brilliant 3rd book

Just as good as the first 2 . Fast paced right from the start to the end. Utterly thrilling. Best series i have read in ages! Off to stalk the author (Figuratively) to see if there will be a book4!
113 reviews1 follower
July 2, 2020
Good ending

The first 2 books were phenomenal, but for some reason this one went far more scifi than fantasy. There were some good twists, a couple I saw coming, but I felt like it didn't quite reach its potential. Definitely worth finishing the storyline.
Profile Image for Anne Barrett.
13 reviews
September 5, 2021
Brilliant

I brought these 3 ebooks as they were a suggested read from amazon and i was going on holiday i havent been able to put these ebooks down i have loved every turn of the page. Will there be a 4th? Would love to read how they got on and if the dark elves rise again
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews

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