Luke ScullAnmeldelser
Forfatter af The Grim Company
Anmeldelser
The Grim Company af Luke Scull
This is "grimdark" without the pretense. This isn't the guy who just went to Hot Topic for the first time and stepped out a punk rawker. This is the real deal. Dark, gritty, bloody, and downright mean to some of the characters that you really want to succeed, but not emo. Demons, giants, dragons, magic and in this final book some technology. The tech kinda threw me at first, but I got used to it quick.
Congrats Mr. Scull. I know we talked years ago when I read the first book, you've got a satisfied customer. What's next?
That about sums it up.
L. Scull takes us into a world where god-like mage lords rule, maim and kill their loyal subjects without second thought. And, those said subjects in turn plot to kill off the mage lords. This is a universe set in a medieval environment, made up of various races, abominations created from past wars, and several levels of magic.
There are some great characters. Two of my favorites being 2 curmudgeonly old guys, who actually turn out to be the heroes. Loved them.
Not for those who want happy endings.
That was test. Grimdark it's not supposed to be fun, so if you thought it was "cool" that it was fun, YOU FAILED! It was dark and bloody and... dark ... and stuff. Really though, I dig the horrific aspects and there are some memorable original characters. Last time it was Cole who I loved to hate and thought was a really cool concept for a hero, this time it was Sir Meredith who I loved to hate and thought was a really cool concept for a villain. The good guys suffer a LOT in this one and it doesn't get a little depressing because they win so rarely.
This book ends with the Four Kingdoms in trouble from multiple angles, so I'm definitely curious about what happens next and will be checking out the 3rd book.
This is the third book in The Grim Company series. I really enjoyed this series, but unfortunately, this book pretty much ends the series. Not that I know how much further the story could have gone if it did continue. I was a bit miffed about the end results( I try not to give spoilers), but understand everyone doesn't always get a happily ever after. If you like sword and magic stories, this series is a must!
It’s been a while since a good fantasy has come by my way and with anti heroes! It’s different and nice to see even though the world building and plot is typical fantasy but it’s written so well that it’s enjoyable and with some occasional funny parts you’re left with a memorable book and want to keep going in the series.
The world building is well done. Mages are dictators of their own cities and have the general populace under their thumb. Magic is pretty much only done by Magelords (not including the band of sorceresses that are mentioned). Dorminia is protected by Augmentors (elite units that have enhanced magical items) which is a fine idea. The mindhawks (birds that can read your mind to see if you’re thinking thoughts to overthrow the Magelord) is also a really neat concept that I liked.
The plot itself is intricate and it takes time to get fully immersed in it. Once you’re familiar with the world and setting it’s well worth the time invested and although it may be a bit hard to keep track of everyone at first, the action scenes are well written, the dialogue is real albeit vulgar at times (but it keeps it real), and the battle at the end is epic. Everything is somewhat interconnected and once the pieces all come together it makes for one great story.
The characters are a mixed bag and you have a variety to choose as a favorite. Cole seems to be the butt of many jokes despite his main role in the story. I found myself bursting out laughing at some moments that featured him - although I have to add, he’s not a very likable character. He’s naive, arrogant, and a bit of a dolt. But that’s what makes his role more interesting. Even I had to agree with Jerek when he said: “The boy’s a hero after all.”
My favorite would be Brodar and Jerek. Their background stories are interesting and they compliment each other. Brodar is the cool headed fighter who’s going on past his prime, whereas Jerek is the hot headed one that has a constant chip on his shoulder. They make a great duo and even while fighting together it makes for an exciting battle scene to read.
I sympathize with Barandas even though he was for the ‘bad guys’. He was loyal to a fault and was your model soldier. But he had a nice likable personality and although he was loyal to the Magelord you had to admire that in him. He’s good at his job and he was also trying to set things right. It made me sad on his demise. It was worth reading his one on one fight with Brodar.
There are so many questions to be answered! Lots of things were left hanging and I am looking forward to reading book two of this series. If you like a good fantasy with anti heroes with various flaws, some bits of dark humor, hefty battle scenes and blood coming from all over this is definitely for you.
This review was written for LibraryThing Member Giveaways.
I received a free copy of Sword of The North from Librarything in exchange for a review. Sword of The North is the second novel in a fantasy series, and I would highly recommend reading the first book first. Otherwise there is a lot to catch up on and familiarize yourself first. The book has multiple POV’s.Now normally this is where I would put a brief intro to what the book is about. But the book has a few storylines, and multiple characters. It’s been pretty well covered by others and by the description at the top, so I feel it’ll be fine to leave this section alone.
This book has a lot of gritty detail to it. Lots of graphic murder, including slitting someone’s throat, and drowning another person while their friend watches. Not a book I’d recommend for the squeamish. Also there is sexual content.
I would recommend reading the first book, because oh my goodness. I was lost. Now about 50 pages into the book I started to get the hang of everything. At first I thought it was just one POV, and so I was very confused when Sasha and Eremul started making appearances. So it took me a little longer to get into this world, before I could thoroughly enjoy it. I now have the need to buy the first book, then reread this one.
Narrative:Third Person, Limited, Subjective
My first reaction when I finished Sword of the North was: You want gritty, this is like rubbing yourself all over with an emery board!
Sword of The North is possibly the darkest Grimdark novels I have read in quite some time. The world is broken, the characters are all in horrendous situations and the outlook is about as bleak as you can make it. There is horror and death around every corner and there is not much happening to convince people that The Age of Ruin is anything, but The Age of Ruin.
It could have easily been a pretty flat and depressing trudge. The amazing thing is, Scull has been able to make it sing and give it life through craftily bleeding little aspects of hope into the story that the reader can latch onto, little elements that might be a saving grace to keep the characters moving forward. There is also a streak of dark humour running through it, that comes from the strangest of places. Sarcastic wit, humorous violent rages and psychopathic thought processes all serve to create anything from sniggers to belly laughs.
Occasionally it is a bit of an emotional roller-coaster ride, which I think is one of the most important elements to keep grimdark interesting. At one stage, within 1% of the novel (according to the reader!), I had a tear of emotion, a belly laugh and the feeling of extreme betrayal. There is humour sidled beside death, and love beside hate. It creates such a heady atmosphere, and it kept me enthralled the whole way through.
The development of the characters between The Grim Company and Sword of the North is immense. The most outstanding aspect of this instalment, is that no matter how much action is whizzing about, the human aspect is never lost. Each of the points of view are dealing with demons that readers can relate to: drug addiction, ageing, bullying, disability and anxiety to name but a few.
There are two characters that go through the most obvious developments, but the progression I found most engaging is in Yllandris. The conceited, beautiful and powerful concubine of the King, has been broken down into an emotional and physical wreck. With it she becomes the champion of children lined up for sacrifice, and is willing to sacrifice herself to stop the reign of the Mad King. Her thought processes are fragile and beautiful, and where I disdained her in Grim Company, I fell in love with her in this. The great thing is, Yllandris is not the only character that is treated with consideration, almost all are changed and moulded anew by the events that have befallen them.
Brodar Kayne, the actual Sword of The North, is given some extra groundwork with flashback scenes to his past as a warrior, and his relationship with his wife and child; the driving force of his journey back to the Highlands. I'm usually not a big fan of flashbacks, but these actually served to broaden Kaynes character and reveal his motivations, not just pad out the book with superfluous meanderings.
The plot line is huge. There is so much going on in and around the two central themes that it had the potential to cause brain bleeds; but by keeping each spoke contained within each point of view, it doesn't become unwieldy in the slightest. At no point did I feel like I had missed a crucial element, or that I had been thrown so far wide of the 'real' plot that my attention started to wander off with it. It just flows so nicely, and by keeping the point of views in a regular pattern, it maintains a good structure, rather than jerking you out of one element and into the next, eliminating the potential for confusion.
The battle scenes are fast and furious, yet well enough written that there's no confusion as to where that arrows aimed or who is swinging what sword at who. Generally, the pacing was hard hitting all the way through, but well kept in check so there wasn't any time line clashing or underdeveloped ideas.
However (I always have at least one!), right near the end, things started to get so clamorous I started to lose track of where people were, what they were doing or why they were doing it. It just felt a little too hysterical for the real impact of the battle royale to sink in. I understand the need to make those events as chaotic as possible to create atmosphere, but pulling back and spreading it out, possibly would've left a mightier impression.
But,
This was fantastic! If you liked The Grim Company, you'll love Sword of The North! It's really a step above the first instalment, in both composition and development, but still with the characters you love (and possibly hate!). Abercrombie, Erikson and Lawrence (and so many others!) have some real competition on their hands with Scull advancing like this!
Harcopy Worthy? Nods head vigorously!
Major point taken: Always be careful when selecting a pet.
I heard a lot of good things about this book and went into it truly expecting to like it. Unfortunately, it fell way short. I almost gave up on it but because I had heard such great things about it, I didn’t want to give up on it. Sad to say, the ending did not justify my time spent on it.
The set up looked very promising. I liked that the main characters were pretty eclectic in age. That is good point in favor of this book – no age discrimination here! Brodar and Jerek are past their prime yet still vital to the plot. They have their own histories and reasons for continuing on. The author doesn’t skimp in describing their aging bodies – they have trouble peeing and issues with hemorrhoids. But beyond that I never really bonded with them.
Then there is Davarus Cole, a young wanna be hero and member of the Shards, a secret organization that works to overthrow the evil Salazar. At first, I found him quite silly and full of himself. Yet, despite all the crap that gets thrown at him in this book, he perseveres in believing in himself. I grew a bit found of him by the end.
The ladies are few and far between in this book, unless you count all the nameless prostitutes and the few rape victims. Sasha, a member of the Shards, takes a long time to come into her abilities. We’re told early on that she can handle herself, but for most of the book she is a sex object that is carried by the men from one scene to the next. Eventually, she gets to use her crossbow and show us her skills and determination. There are some evil powerful ladies, most of whom remain vague for most of the book. There is a ton of jokes made by the male characters about violence towards women. If this was balanced out by more competent female characters, it would not have bothered me. However, this is not a balanced book in this regard.
The adventure plot is a bit predictable and I kept waiting for something more to be thrown in. I guess the most interesting bits were the characters’ pasts – Brodar’s clash with the evil sorcerer from his village that sent him fleeing; Davarus’s upbringing that created his believe that he was indeed a true hero. While these things had influence on the plot, they were not the main gristle of the book. The world building wasn’t all that unique, though it has potential to be built upon. I found myself somewhat bored with this book and just waiting for one of two things to happen: The story to get super good and prove all my doubts wrong; or for it to end.
The Narration: Gerard Doyle did a really good job with this book. He had several accents and ages to portray, along with the few ladies who had more than one line. He made them all distinct and I never had to guess who was talking.
1 
DabOfDarkness | 16 andre anmeldelser | Oct 31, 2015 |
DabOfDarkness | 16 andre anmeldelser | Oct 31, 2015 | In the first book we met Brodar Kayne, a hero from the cold reaches whose battle prowess and skill with a blade earned him the title Sword of the North. Together with a band of ragtag outcasts, he and his companion Jerek the Wolf were able to survive the chaos that reigned after the White Lady declared victory and succeeded the tyrant Salazar. However, their new ruler has proven not to be as benevolent as she claimed. Something feels rotten at the heart of the city as dissidents are captured or disappeared, but if the White Lady cannot be convinced of the new danger threatening Dorminia, the state of things are sure to go from bad to worse.
Our grim company is broken now, the characters scattered across the land to pursue their own personal quests. Amidst dark tidings about the Shaman and demon hordes in the High Fangs, Brodar and Jerek begin their journey back to their homeland in light of new revelations about Brodar’s family. Weakened and injured from the ordeal at the end of book one, Davarus Cole wakes up in a labor camp and immediately finds himself put to work, but deep inside he is a changed man, no longer the puffed-up blowhard he once was. Sasha grieves, believing Cole lost to her, and falls back into her drug addiction even as she travels with her slightly unhinged sister Ambryl to bring news to the White Lady. And last but certainly not least, there is Eremul the Halfmage who continues his investigation into the race of immortals known as the Fade. Who are these mysterious creatures? And what do they want?
Make no mistake, the characters are the highlight of this series. It’s difficult for me to single out any favorites, because they are all so well written, deeply developed and memorable in their own way. I don’t know how Luke Scull does it, but even when his characters are dastardly and unlikeable, they’re great. Take for example, the chapters featuring Sir Meredith and his misguided notions of honor. I found them a pleasure to read, if for no other reason because you know it’ll feel so good when the cruel “knight” finally gets what he deserves.
I also believe much of the characters’ strength comes from their all-too-human flaws, which are nonetheless balanced by admirable virtues…well, in most cases anyway. Even Jerek who is as crass as ever can be lovable in his own way, because one would think nothing can shake the old Wolf’s loyalty to his friends. It’s what makes one significant plot development late in the novel so heart-wrenching. When it comes to plot elements that cut deeply, there’s also Sasha and her hopeless cycle of abstaining from the moon dust only to fall off the wagon again and again. Scull has this way of getting you right into the heads of his characters, and Sasha’s struggle with the drug is one instance where the storytelling really closes in at a more intimate level. It’s all about personal stories, and nothing can be more personal than the flashbacks to Brodar Kayne’s past. These chapters were excellent, giving insight into our rough and tough protagonist, especially with the way they were interspersed with his present perspective. The company may be no more, most of its members separated, but in the process we’ve actually been given some great opportunities to further explore each character.
I was also surprised that for a heavy book containing such abundant themes and trappings of grimdark, Sword of the North was a relatively smooth, breezy read. It’s helped by the strong thread of wry humor woven through the story as well as the straight forward prose and dialogue, which at times featured language that bordered on modern-sounding. It’s not all gloom and doom despite the action and brutal violence, and actually managed to pull quite a few laughs out of me too.
As for flaws, I can’t think of many at all. Sword of the North is the middle book of a planned trilogy, and there are a lot of plot threads to follow so you can expect a slight slowdown in some of them while we gear up for the finale. On the whole, I found this to be the case with Davarus Cole as well as Eremul’s chapters. That’s not to say they were boring; on the contrary, there’s a lot of development happening there. But in terms of pacing, they were no match for Brodar Kayne’s action-filled chapters. Practically every other scene featured Brodar and his companions sticking a sword in something’s face, whether they be bandits, the risen undead, or poop-flinging barbarians. There were a couple new plot elements inserted into that storyline that felt a bit awkward though, such as a certain character from the Jade Isles who joins Brodar and his party late in the book. I think Scull may be setting up some game changers for book three, but the introduction of this character still seemed quite sudden and random. I guess we’ll see if it pays off in the next installment, but something tells me the author knows what he’s doing.
All told, this book was very enjoyable. Speaking of the next installment, I absolutely cannot wait for the third and final volume of this trilogy. If the first and second books are any indication, the finale is going to be well worth it. In Sword of the North, Luke Scull delivered a truly stellar sequel.
Thankfully, for fantasy readers, others have risen to great heights. George RR Martin, Patrick Rothfuss, and Gene Wolf all spring immediately to mind.
At a less lofty standard, but still excellent within the genre are writers like Feist, Sanderson, Gaiman, Jordan.
I'd even argue tooth and nail with someone that Weiss & Hickman's Dragonlance Legends Trilogy transcends that mythos and delivers a character-rich epic fantasy story; Raistlin Majere is right up there with great characters in fantasy fiction.
Which brings me to The Grimm Company.
Discerning fantasy enthusiasts deserve better than this. Pull out the swearing and graphic violence and you could slap a Forgotten Realms banner on this book. The writing does not rise beyond that standard, and even then I'd be casting dispersion on RA Salvatore and his solid Drizzt Do'Urden stories.
The great Fantasy novels are evocative, rich immersive experiences. They have memorable characters of depth and humanity. They are told with strong narrative voices. All of this can be achieved within the tropes of the genre. Heck, the best push these boundaries further.
The Grim Company felt like a 15 year old boys concept of a fantasy novel. The characters are cardboard cutout caricatures. Their behaviour labored, obvious and lacking depth or defining qualities. In the case of one character - he's outright annoying. The writing itself heavy handed and littered with chunks of mood-killing exposition. It feels like fantasy by the numbers written on autopilot.
The other thing that really bugged me is the current trend for "gritty" fantasy with violence and swearing. No matter how old words like 'F*ck, Sh*t, C**t" really are, they're in such common parlance today that they ring too modern for the context. I would prefer authors be more creative with their curses.
The descriptions of violence lack impact the same way fake blood in zombie splatter films lack impact. It does not add depth to the story. It does not add depth to characters. It's just a gleeful wash of (red) colour. You want colourful, progressive shocking violence? Go watch the scene in Jackie brown where Louis shoots Melanie, or Pulp Fiction when Vincent shoots Marvin. Tarantino was a great student of film and he really understood this stuff. There's a reason *that* scene in Reservoir dogs was so shocking despite nothing actually being shown. This can be translated to the written word too.
I don't get off on critisicing authors - it's a tough gig. But I wish more thought and art went into this story. This novel is not Rembrandt, it's not even dogs playing pool. It is a black heavy-metal T-shirt with some flaming skulls on it. Some people will dig that. I hated it.
1 StaticBlaq | 16 andre anmeldelser | Apr 26, 2015 |
StaticBlaq | 16 andre anmeldelser | Apr 26, 2015 | This is epic fantasy that's contained in under 500 pages, has plenty of action, really cool magic, an interesting back story and extremely likable characters. It's really brutal, occasionally a little over the top in the believability department, but didn't feel like it was forced. There's a second book but the first one does NOT end with a cliffhanger.
I did this on audio and the narrator was good but one strange thing is that he alternated between calling Davarus' dagger "Mage Bane" and "Mega Bane". The first time he said "Mega Bane" I was worried the story was really going to suck, I almost stopped because it sounded like something from a video game.
In the end I'm really glad I picked up this unknown (to me) author's work and I can't wait for the next book to come out.
I’m going to come right out and say it because I read some of the other reviews - I have never read anything by Joe Abercrombie. I have read there are comparisons but I think Luke Scull and can be happy that many new readers to fantasy, like me, will come across this first and I realise it is a fantastic book that stands on its own merits, and then later on discover JA..
The Gods have been killed by a bunch of mages who have stepped into their void and taken over. How can a son watch his mother burn?
One of the reasons this book worked for me is that the Author pulled together some of my very favourite character types and plot lines and then twisted them into his own style and on more than one occasion shattered my expectations.I started writing this review half way through to keep track of some notes and then pretty much had to start over by the end of the book, and I could not have enjoyed it more.
We have a major character Brodar Kayne, once known as the Sword of the North who has the feel and the look of Druss the Legend until we learn his opinion of ‘the code’ is that it can go shaft itself. This guy has a seriously damaged story that unfolds and reveals itself beautifully. You will feel genuine sympathy for this character….and his knees.
Another of our main characters is a young land called Davarus Cole, who I found to be incredibly likeable. He knows he is a hero because his dad was hero and gave him a heroes’ weapon…or so he has been told. His major problem, in his mind, is that he is living in a world of people who simply don’t realise it yet. So both, good naturedly and hap hazardly I might add, he sets out to show them how awesome he is. However unlike Neo in the Matrix he knows his path before he has walked it leading to frustration and impatience, when it is unrecognised by others.
When Scull does really well is interweave all his different threads together so that by the time you get half way through you have an equal interest in all parts of the story. Normally I might find myself reading one thread that I am not as into, but in this case I was just as interested in the one character as another.
I cannot recommend this highly enough.
With hard boiled men prone to angry outbursts, and a youth who styles himself a hero, a devious revolutionary, a crippled half-mage who is literally half a person (no legs mind you) – many a reader will take to this grim (he he see what I did there?) yet fun story with loads of enthusiasm.
Admittedly, it follows a very traditional fantasy formula. The land and its people are subjugated by ‘all powerful’ rulers that are god-like in power…but not gods because well they killed the old gods now didn’t they? So, this ragtag group of people have got to pull them down.
Having read a handful of epic fantasy books, this would definitely be considered one to me because of all of the various characters involved. It isn’t as maddeningly in depth as say a GRRM book which I am thankful it isn’t. But there are quite a few players involved and the POV is constantly shifting from one to the next. Most epic fantasy readers are accustomed to this kind of style so it should be a very comfortable read and there is quite a bit of action to keep things moving.
My favorite character is Davarus Cole, the guy is so naive and full of himself thinking he’s destined to be a hero and things are, will and should just fall easily into place for him. Notably funny early Cole and Sasha scene:
Sasha was a couple of years his senior, tall and slender, with dark brown hair that reached her shoulders and captivating eyes. He watched in rising panic as they made their way down his naked body.
A ghost of a smile danced on Sasha’s lips as she said, “Well, that’s a less than impressive sight. …I thought you possessed a weapon that could absorb magic and skewer Magelords like a hog. I have trouble believing an instrument like that could slay a farm girl.” ~Pg 8
If you’re looking to give epic fantasy a try this would be a good one to try, and current lovers of the genre will likely find The Grim Company to be a winner.
The Grim Company is the 1st book in the Grim Company Series by Luke Scull. The series is set in a world where originally well-meaning magelords have slain the gods and ended up becoming tyrants themselves.
Other people have written more comprehensive descriptions of the storyline but I'm going to concentrate on why I enjoyed the book. There are multiple storylines going on under 1 main thread with many varied characters. The good guys are not always good and the bad guys are not necessarily evil. Sometimes bad things just happen to good people and vice versa. This book is more gritty than I would normally enjoy reading but it is balanced with a dark sense of humour at characters who could otherwise take themselves too seriously.
I look forward to reading the next book in the series, Sword of the North.
In retrospect, I suppose there were a lot of parallels, but at the time I can honestly say I didn't get that vibe at all, other than the fact both authors write grimdark fantasy about gruff and tough barbarian warriors who love to swear a lot (not a distinction held by any one specific author in the industry, really). In the end I'm glad I went into this book blind, because I found that Luke Scull's writing shone through with his own style, not to mention the heavy focus on magic and other unique ideas found in his book made me consider it entirely on its own merits.
When it comes to a gritty fantasy adventure, we're definitely starting out on the right track with a story that spans far and wide in terms of locale and history, featuring settings from palace halls to the northern remote highlands. Five hundred years ago, the Magelords killed the gods and now their tyrant Salazar rules the empire of Dorminia. Meanwhile, his greatest adversary the White Lady plots his demise from across the Broken Sea and seeks to free the people. Far away from both, demonic forces plague the remote mountains in the north.
Caught in the middle of this kerfluffle is a motley crew of misfits and outcasts all linked to the events, trying to hold everything together. And on this topic, I have to say the characters in this book are just as diverse, though it would be tempting to pigeonhole each into the all too familiar fantasy archetypes. But upon first inspection, I feel their traditional roles belie their unique personalities and colorful pasts.
Take Davarus Cole, for example, the hero who knows he's the hero and won't let you or anyone else forget that for a second. He's so full of himself and deluded in his self-importance that I just couldn't help but love him and indulge in him like you would a spoiled little kitten, even as I gleefully anticipated that sweet moment the truth will blow up in his face. Then there's Jerek the Wolf, a supporting character in the shadow of the more prominent Brodar Kayne, but it was the former I took to, due in no small part to his loyalty as well as talent for cursing which would make even a longshoreman blush like a schoolgirl.
And indeed, what surprised me the most is the streak of wry humor which ran through the story, which made the book a lot less grim than I'd anticipated. This was simply a very enjoyable and entertaining read, and I don't know if there's any more I can add to that.
Because I knew so little about The Grim Company before I read it, I also didn't know anything about its publication history and the fact new indie publisher Head of Zeus first acquired the rights to the trilogy after winning a fiercely contested auction in a six-figure deal. Yes, they were that confident about it. And now I understand why.
The Grim Company by Luke Scull is a dark fantasy that loves to turn fantasy tropes on their head! It came out in the States earlier this month, and if you like dark fantasy, you should definitely check out this new trilogy. I love the premise of the gods being dead. It is just such an epic start, right? The bad guys must be bad if they can kill the freaking gods! The Grim Company is full of deliciously grey characters and lots of intricately interwoven plot lines, my favorite kind :D.
Note: I received The Grim Company from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This book has adult content.
Strengths:
The gods were killed generations ago and now the world is dealing with the fallout. Apparently when gods die, the natural world has some trouble adjusting. This made for a very intriguing backdrop for The Grim Company and I can’t wait to find out more!
Barbarians are supposed to be young and tough, mages are supposed to be scholarly and powerful, manservants are helpful but not the ones on center stage… right? Not according to The Grim Company! It was so amusing to see the small tweaks to all the classic high fantasy characters ;-).
I love a book that can pull off multiple POV, multiple plot lines, but the main plot line is clear and comes together at the end. That still leaves lots of side plots that make me excited to read the next book. The Grim Company pulled this off beautifully.
There aren’t really bad guys and good guys ya know? Even the villains have some motivation and usually think they are doing the right thing, and the heroes aren’t perfect. The Grim Company blurs the lines even further, to the point that I just accepted all the characters for their flaws and strengths. Wunderbar!
Weaknesses:
I now know way more about hemorrhoids than I ever wanted. Seriously, ick.
Definite trigger warnings in this one. The dark part of dark fantasy is emphasized, so be prepared for violence of all varieties. Bad things happen to everyone.
I have to admit there were sections of The Grim Company that came off a bit slow. This is one of the problems with so many plot lines: it does take a fair amount of set-up.
Summary:
While dark fantasy is something I need in limited quantities, I’m so glad I had the chance to read The Grim Company. The world of magelords, Brethren, Fade, and scary ghost girls is not somewhere I ever want to end up, but it makes for some awesome adventures :D. If you are confident that you can handle some gore and violence, I highly advise you check out just who The Grim Company is ;-). Also apparently Scull has an iOS fantasy game?? Awesome!
A world run by mages who care little for the people in their cities, deceit and misery abounds.
The main characters are nothing to write home about either. It was hard to root for any of them, or to care about their welfare and triumph.
The ending left me feeling much the way I felt at the start of the book. I really want nothing more to do with the world in the book, for there was nothing there I thought worth saving at all.
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