The Nameless Dwarf (The Complete Chronicles): Nameless Dwarf series books 1-5

CUSTOMER REVIEW



You'd be forgiven for being wary of independent fantasy. It is, after all, a genre that attracts a lot of first time writers. Inevitably that results in a lot of sub-Tolkienesque dross that you probably wouldn't want to waste your time with. So you could hardly be blamed for steering your way safely towards the Gemmells, the Donaldsons and the Feists of this world.

That, however, would be a mistake, because hidden amongst the weeds are rare gems like Prior's Nameless Dwarf stories... And you certainly don't want to miss them. What does anybody want from first-class fantasy fiction? Strong characterisation? I like the fact that Nameless is a flawed hero and his companions are equally complex with well-developed back stories. I never felt that any of the characters were two-dimensional throwaway bit-parts - they all rang true. A fast-paced plot? The Nameless stories grabbed me from the first page and pulled me along relentlessly. You won't want to put this down once you start. Fully-realised worlds? I found Prior's world of Aethir to have been meticulously crafted - this is an author who has done his homework before developing his plot.

What really made even this jaded reader sit up and take note though is Prior's adept use of humour - not laying it on with a trowel or letting it get in the way of the story, but using it well to balance the darker moments and to control the pace. It's probably one of the hardest aspects to get right in fantasy, but these stories don't disappoint in that respect.

Complaints? Yes, but they are minor. Perhaps I was sent scurrying once too often for my dictionary, but it's really not a significant issue with the books.

You could read these tales individually, but my feeling is that they probably work best read as a longer single saga - as they are presented in this omnibus edition.

At the end of the day, I approached these volumes with an open mind, but I was at first pleasantly surprised and then both engrossed and entertained by this compelling tale of one dwarf's quest for redemption. I heartily recommend it to fans of the genre.