Tag: The Brotherhood of the Dwarves series

+SSP Week+ Book Review: The Brotherhood of the Dwarves by D.A. Adams

Posted Tuesday, 11 February, 2014 by jorielov , , , 4 Comments

Parajunkee Designs

The Brotherhood of the Dwarves by D.A. Adams
Artwork Credit: Bonnie Wasson

D.A. Adams page for reviews of all the books in sequence.

Published By: Seventh Star Press, 7 February 2012 (softcover edition)
Official Editor Websites: Site | Twitter | Facebook
Converse on Twitter: #BrotherhoodofDwarves
Artist Page: Bonnie Wasson  @ Seventh Star Press
Available Formats: Softcover and E-Book
Page Count: 238


Acquired Book:

I am a regular blog book tour hostess for Tomorrow Comes Media, whereupon in conversations with Stephen Zimmer about enjoying high fantasy over other aspects of the genre, I was offered to receive a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review direct from the publisher Seventh Star Press. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

Initial Thoughts:

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect whilst looking over my copy of The Brotherhood of the Dwarves, as I had revealed inside Mr. Adams’s Guest Post on writing the series that I had first thought the inspiration behind his creation was due to the dwarves in The Lord of the Rings. Although, I have started to pick up my interest into reading the realms of science fiction & fantasy late in 2013, previous to my wanderings thus far along I hadn’t actually delved into stories or authors who focused on dwarves! My entire knowledge going into reading this book is based mostly on my memories of Gimli! Therefore, this is my first example of dwarves in fiction as I entered the sage of Gimli through the motion pictures not the text! (the complete Histories of Middle Earth & Lord of the Rings are on my tCC TBR list!)


Author Biography:

D.A. Adams

D.A. Adams was born in Florida but was raised in East Tennessee. He received a Master of Arts in Writing from the University of Memphis in 1999 and has taught college English for over a decade. His first novel, The Brotherhood of Dwarves, was released in 2005 and has been described as a solid, honest work about camaraderie, bravery, and sacrifice, a very personal journey, more interested in the ways that a person is changed by life’s events than in epic battles and high magic. In 2008, the sequel, Red Sky at Dawn, was released to the exaltation that this novel thunders along, at times with dizzying speed. The action is visceral and imaginative without being gratuitous. Book three, The Fall of Dorkhun, came out in 2011, followed by book four, Between Dark and Light, in 2012.

In terms of writing style, Adams exhibits an effortless narrative voice and a masterful balance between richly detailed descriptions and tightly worded minimalism. The pacing of his stories is breathtaking, with relentless action and captivating plot twists that keep readers riveted page after page. But his true talent as a writer lies in character development. Readers find themselves empathizing with, fearing for, and cheering on the characters as they overcome their personal shortcomings and grow as fully rendered individuals.

Adams is also the father of two wonderful sons and, despite his professional accomplishments, maintains that they are his greatest achievement in life. He resides in East Tennessee.

 

Understanding the order of Dwarves:

Adams does a great job at introducing the reader to the world within The Brotherhood of the Dwarves by outlining the differences of each tribe therein. I appreciated seeing the slight differences in both appearance, personality, temperament, and tone of living. Being an artist and a writer myself, I was leaning towards Roskin’s kingdom of Kiredurk as they focused on art and beauty rather than savage battlements of war. I lit up a bit within the intricate descriptions of the underground city as the engineering feat it would take to create such a structure piqued my interest! (after having read The Race Underground recently for a Book Browse First Impressions selection)

The pace picks up a bit whilst understanding the rite of passage within the hierarchy of the dwarf system. I was reminding myself of the Amish who are allowed to choose whether or not to remove themselves from their Order whilst travelling in the world of the English, or if they choose to take their place within their own society. In this story, young Roskin believes his destiny is attached to not only sorting out the mysteries of his past, but in seeking a long forgotten relic of treasure which is the namesake of the book series! Quite clever when I realised this revelation!

My Review of the Brotherhood of the Dwarves:

The Brotherhood of the Dwarves is set within a well-envisioned world, where each of the individual tribes of dwarves adhere to their own rules and regulations of order. There are dwarves who consider bloodshed and battle the mark of a true dwarf and of strength of their people. Whereas there are other more peaceful dwarves who feel that the pursuit of battle completely is not the best plausible way to live. (I happen to agree with the latter sentiment!) It’s Roskin’s pursuit of unearthing his ancestral roots that interested me the most due to his status as half dwarf and half elf.

Torkdohn is a guiding force in aiding young Roskin in the opening bits of his journey, not only in the sage advice he imparts upon the lad but in the knowledge of the lands outside Roskin’s native Kingdom. Torkdohn is the type of character you wonder if you can trust. The journey Roskin is undergoing is a twist on coming-of age, where he will have to settle out his thoughts and beliefs as far as how he wants to live and the manner in which he applies the lessons he is gaining. He isn’t one to play the fool nor is he one to relish in ignorance. His strength lies in sorting out the middle ground between being a dwarf who can hunt and kill without conscience of the consequences and being a dwarf who embodies the principles of only killing what one needs for subsistence; or for self-defense if need be.

I was quite surprised that I could settle into the narrative as the context dips between the psychological and emotional imagery of the life of dwarves to where the reader is front-row center to the action. There is a necessity of caution between the Kingdoms as distrust and broken alliances are clearly evident. What kept me in the story was Roskin himself who was very much a seeker on an adventure to discover more about himself as much as what it meant to be caught between worlds of the dwarves and elves. As the skirmishes evolve in the story, a few of the sequences were a bit much for me, but given the wager between the incidents was life or death, it stood to reason the battle would be heroic bloodshed or the grave! At one point I was wondering if most of the story was going to be hinged to battle, as although I respect warfare and enbattlements; there are times where I prefer more dialogue and narrative of the back-story or forward motion of the characters.

One of my favourite sections of the novel is when Red and Roskin are sent into exile with a hermit in the mountains named Kwarck. I eased into this section because I appreciated the interactions of the land with the labouring of the characters attempting to pay retribution and gratitude to their host. The inner demons of their conscience hearts were on trial throughout the story as each man had to learn how they would best wrangle out a resolution for their haunted memories. It was here in these passages that I felt were the strength of The Brotherhood of the Dwarves, as it laid the groundwork for why friendship, loyalty, and forgiveness are so very important to grab a hold of.

A sociological conscience is threaded throughout the narrative:

One of the things I appreciated the most about the writing style of Adams is that he lights the undertone of the novel The Brotherhood of Dwarves with a sociological conscious. Where for every cause and effect there is a conscience desire to sort through the internal strife of battlefield emotions tempered with the clarity of seeking a way to avoid confrontation. The way he interweaves the history of the dwarves themselves with the network of experience each dwarf must tackle is a way of endearing the race to the reader. Giving you a window into the reasoning for their differences but also empathy for why they make the choices they do. I think for those who appreciate high fantasy strong in warfare and survival based on hand-to-hand combat action will thrive in this setting because Roskin and his friends give a lot towards that end. For me the violent exchanges bordered on the excessive but another reader might feel they were more mild in nature. I think it depends on your personal levels of acceptance.

Fly in the Ointment:

Despite my own surprise of finding a niche in the story, The Brotherhood of the Dwarves bends a bit too much towards bloodshed for my own heart’s sensitivity. I readily enjoyed the engaging dialogue between the secondary characters and the main protagonists but I quickly surmised that what I enjoyed within the story itself was countered by another battle right around the corner. I think I could have fared better if  those who were hunting Roskin had taken different paths to find him, allowing him the flexibility to travel on his journey without as many incidents of mayhem and death. Afterall, there is only so much one can stomach back-to-back.


This Seventh Star Press focus week was brought together with the help of Tomorrow Comes Media, of which I am a blog tour hostess and book reviewer. To keep up to speed with which authors and books I will be featuring on Jorie Loves A Story in the near future via Tomorrow Comes Media, please check out my Bookish Events!

This marks my sixth post in contribution of:

2014 SciFi Experience
(“Strength and Honor” by Stephan Martiniere, used with the artist’s permission)

You can follow along on the official Sci-Fi Experience site!

Cross-listed on: Sci-Fi & Fantasy Fridays via On Starships & Dragonwings

{SOURCES: The 2014 Sci-Fi Experience was granted permission to use the artwork by Stephen Martiniere in their official badge for all participants to show their solidarity during the event! The Brotherhood of the Dwarves cover art, D.A. Adams photograph & biography provided by Tomorrow Comes Media and used with permission. Post dividers were provided by Shabby Blogs, who give bloggers free resources to add personality to their blogs. Book Review badge provided by Parajunkee to give book bloggers definition on their blogs.}

Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2014.

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Posted Tuesday, 11 February, 2014 by jorielov in Book Review (non-blog tour), Coming-Of Age, Debut Novel, Excessive Violence in Literature, Fantasy Fiction, Fly in the Ointment, Folklore and Mythology, Heroic Fantasy, High Fantasy, Indie Author, Seventh Star Press, Seventh Star Press Week, The Sci-Fi Experience, Tomorrow Comes Media, YA Fantasy

+SSP Week+ Author Guest Post “On writing about Dwarves” by D.A. Adams

Posted Sunday, 26 January, 2014 by jorielov , , , 0 Comments

Guest Post by Parajunkee

Proposed Topic for D.A. Adams: What was the foundation of his inspiration to tackle a series strictly focused on Dwarves? And, if this was inspired by Lord of the Rings &/or another author/series, or if he had the story come to him and followed his heart with the characters?!

The Brotherhood of the Dwarves by D.A. Adams
Artwork Credit: Bonnie Wasson

I welcome author D.A. Adams today to Jorie Loves A Story, where he took the heart of my proposed question and gave back his heart in his response! I was very appreciative of his generous approach to explain the wholeness of his choice in writing about dwarves. Adams has written four installments of The Brotherhood of the Dwarves series, published through Seventh Star Press. (Prior to SSP, the series was originally released by Third Axe Media for the first two books.) I believe there is a fifth installment slated to be released in 2015. I will be reading and reviewing the first book: The Brotherhood of the Dwarves lateron this week! Let us allow his voice to soak into us as he explains the impetus of his creation.

Shabby Blogs

When asked the question, “Why dwarves?” my initial reaction is often, “Why not dwarves? Dwarves kick butt.” However, there are much more interesting and more sophisticated answers to this question.

For starters, in the fantasy cannon, dwarves tend to be the blue-collar class. They are laborers – miners, blacksmiths, and structural engineers – typically depicted as hard-working, hard-drinking, and ready to fight at the tug of a beard. Elves are the elites, the refined and sophisticated wine sippers and art connoisseurs, as elegant and graceful as they are intelligent and beautiful. I grew up and still reside in rural Appalachia. My roots are in hard, dirty work, the kind that leaves you with a ripe smell at the end of the day, so in my youth, my affinity always leaned towards the dwarves, for they reminded me of the hard-working men I grew up around.

Then, there is the Dungeons and Dragons aspect to consider. During pre-pubescence, I was shy, awkward, and highly introverted. D&D offered me an outlet for my creativity and allowed me to grow out of my shell. I often ended up as the Dungeon Master because my friends loved the elaborate adventures I would create for them. Even when playing a module, I typically deviated from the script and developed my own story within the module’s setting. My character, a young, rowdy dwarf with a sharp temper, became a regular NPC on these adventures. My friends loved and hated him, for while he usually helped them achieve their task, he was just as likely to pick a fight with one of the party. When I began pre-writing for this series, I dusted off Roskin and rethought him. Though his background and nuances are much different today as when I was thirteen, the nucleus of Roskin is deeply-rooted in that D&D character of my youth.

Finally and most importantly, dwarves are the central figures in this series as an homage to C.S. Lewis. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe changed my life, being my gateway to fantasy literature. Near the end of The Last Battle, book seven in the chronicles, there is a scene where the characters have been trapped and surrounded in a barn. Aslan arrives and reveals to them the splendor of his land, all except the dwarves. They can only see the barn and the hay, for they are mired in the physical world. When I began this series, I wanted to create a realistic world and story devoid of any supernatural and/or religious elements. It’s true the elves have a hyper-developed sense of intuition, but I don’t see that as supernatural but more of a highly refined sixth sense attached to the physical world (And I based this trait on my grandmother, who was part Cherokee and had an amazing intuitive ability. She could spook you with the things she knew and saw). Outside of the intuition, everything in the series is grounded in the physical world, so I chose dwarves as the central figures as a tribute to Lewis and that scene in The Last Battle.

Those are the primary reasons why I chose dwarves and part of the genesis for the series. I wrote this adventure because I believe the world now more than ever needs a story rich with a diverse cast bonding together, flawed heroes overcoming their own limitations to achieve great things, and ordinary people standing up to tyranny. It offers strong female characters, realistic antagonists, and likeable heroes. At its heart, this series is about the triumph of humanity over materialism because I believe that issue to be the single most important one we as a society face today. And I made dwarves the central figures because I believe in the abilities of everyday working class people to change the world for the better. That and dwarves do kick butt, so why not?

You can follow D.A. Adams adventurous dwarves and stories at: The Brotherhood of the Dwarves site.

Shabby Blogs

You wrote a very compelling piece about Dwarves and I learnt quite a heap about you as a writer and as person as well! I think my readers will enjoy reading the background of how you first came to appreciate dwarves and what led you forward to giving them such a hearty piece of reality to exist in! I truly believe in intuition as my own maternal past has had its share of inclinations like your grandmother! Sometimes the greatest distances people place in faith is the inability to understand and accept the unknown. I’ve never had a problem with taking a leap of faith and in trusting what I feel, sense, and know internally.

My own teenage years were spent in D&D scenarios except to say that I sort of wrecked part of the joy for the Dragon Master because instead of sorting out the passages of his story ‘in gameplay’, I knew within one or two ‘plays’ where we were headed and the full layers of what he had built inside the world! I find that sometimes if the world building of the writer is solid enough at the jump-start I can draw the conclusions of where the writer is attempting to take their audience. This isn’t always the case, but as D&D was a role playing game, I believe it led way to my perception of what was ahead.

I wasn’t able to follow Narnia in book form – I had to follow it through motion pictures! As despite all my attempts I found the writing a bit droll for me to process. I actually compared it to Robinson Crusoe to my parents because that was the first book I never finished and gave up on principle! Now. Narnia in film? I can soak into that world very easily and its much easier for me to follow, process, and understand the depth of everything set in the world itself.

I sometimes find there is a disconnect with how I internalise stories and the full arc of the story-teller’s vision. I’ve always been a keen visual learner and there are moments where if I find a written story to be a bit of a leap for me to grasp, I take a chance on its motion picture variation. Odds are in favour the ebbings of live-action portrayals will help ease my imagination into the world it originally felt disconnected from.

I originally thought your inspirations for dwarves was from Lord of the Rings – as although I haven’t fully read the books, I gathered all! of them, including the Histories. I rallied behind Gimli the entire time! I always felt Dwarves were deeply misunderstood! No matter how we each came around to feeling about dwarves I tend to defend them myself!

I haven’t looked into the meanings behind the stories or the underpinnings of where each writer was attempting to take their audience, but I do agree with you on the working class. I think you always want to champion the class in which you were bourne and lived, bringing real stories of honest people trying not only to carve out a living for themselves but to shine a light on the hard work and the dedication of enjoying their lives as well. I always felt dwarves in particular are the epitome of ‘live hard, play hard’!!

Shabby Blogs

This Seventh Star Press focus week was brought together with the help of Tomorrow Comes Media, of which I am a blog tour hostess and book reviewer. To keep up to speed with which authors and books I will be featuring on Jorie Loves A Story in the near future via Tomorrow Comes Media, please check out my Bookish Events! Similar to blog tours, when I feature a showcase for an author via a Guest Post, Q&A, Interview, etc., I do not receive compensation for featuring supplemental content on my blog.

This marks my second post in contribution of:

(“Strength and Honor” by Stephan Martiniere, used with the artist’s permission)
(“Strength and Honor” by Stephan Martiniere, used with the artist’s permission)

You can follow along on the official Sci-Fi Experience site!

Cross-listed on: Sci-Fi & Fantasy Fridays via On Starships & Dragonwings

{SOURCES: The 2014 Sci-Fi Experience was granted permission to use the artwork by Stephen Martiniere in their official badge for all participants to show their solidarity during the event! The Brotherhood of the Dwarves cover art provided by Tomorrow Comes Media and used with permission. I requested an Author Guest Post on the topic of writing about dwarves through Stephen Zimmer and received the essay direct from the author D.A. Adams. Post dividers were provided by Shabby Blogs, who give bloggers free resources to add personality to their blogs. Blog News badge provided by Parajunkee to give book bloggers definition on their blogs.}

Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2014.

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Posted Sunday, 26 January, 2014 by jorielov in Fantasy Fiction, Folklore and Mythology, Heroic Fantasy, High Fantasy, Reader Submitted Guest Post (Topic) for Author, Seventh Star Press, Seventh Star Press Week, The Sci-Fi Experience, The Writers Life, Tomorrow Comes Media, YA Fantasy