Review: A complete and 'shogging' superb collection of the Nameless Dwarf
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 02 23, 2013
"The Nameless Dwarf - The Complete Chronicles" is the compilation of five books/novellas (The Ant-Man of Malfen, The Axe of the Dwarf Lords, The Scout and the Serpent, The Ebon Staff & Bane of the Liche Lord) in Derek Prior's "Chronicles of the Nameless Dwarf" series. The story follows an amnesic, manic-depressive dwarven warrior aptly called "Nameless" and his companions Nils (a youthful and sometimes cowardly rogue), Silas (a mage walking a dark path) and Ilesa (a shape-shifting assassin) on their search for Nameless' dwarven ancestors who have fled into the shadowy Northern lands of Qlippoth. Nameless pursues his brethren in attempts to make amends for the past atrocities against his own race and save his race from eventual destruction. In the five installments our group of unlikely companions band together and begin their search for Nameless' remaining brethren. Here are my thoughts on The Nameless Dwarf - The Complete Chronicles;Pros+ Unique and interesting characters which continuously evolve and gain more depth with each release. As I've mentioned in my individual reviews you'll find none of your do-gooder heroes here. The more you read the more you learn about each character's sordid pasts.  Their motivations are clearly defined and easily understood.+ Plenty of well balanced action.+ Extremely well written, which I've come to expect from Prior.+ Extensive glossary detailing all people, places and things in the story.+ Perfect amount of clever humor.+ Detailed history makes you want to read all other stories taking place in the land of Malkuth.+ A gorgeously detailed map of the world of Aethir.+ Clever cliffhanger endings practically force you to immediately start the next tale.Cons <contains SPOILERS>- Real world references and names drew me out of the fantasy setting of the story at times. Unfortunately, this happens to me with nearly every cross-over style fantasy tale.  This merely a personal preference and not a reflection of the overall tale.- Glossary's detail can be confusing, a bit overwhelming and reveal spoilers about other stories in the world, especially if you haven't read the Prior's "Deacon Shader" series.All five tales in the Nameless series are superbly written and bring a uniqueness to the epic fantasy genre which seems all too rare these days. Each character has a very distinctive style which continues to develop and evolve with the storyline as they're forced to confront the challenges of the present as well as face those of their past. The writing is top notch and the pacing of each story is near perfect. The Chronicles of the Nameless Dwarf has quickly become my favorite new fantasy series. Individually they're quick reads but never disappoint. I was always left eagerly awaiting the author's next release of Nameless, his companions and their adventures in the lands of Malkuth, Qlippoth and beyond. Well done.