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Dead Man's Steel

(Grim Company #3)

Luke Scull (Goodreads Author)

3.98 · Rating details · 1,880 ratings · 146 reviews

As the “gripping”* epic from the author of Sword of the North continues, the Grim Company must battle a dangerous new enemy that is determined to destroy all of humanity...

In the City of Towers, former rebel Sasha and her comrade Davarus Cole struggle to keep the peace between the warring mages who vie for dominion. But when the White Lady sends Davarus south to the Shatt ...more

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Hardcover, 448 pages

Published January 3rd 2017 by Roc (first published December 1st 2016)

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Jan 04, 2017 Samir rated it it was ok · review of another edition

This is difficult to rate. I hate it when the last book in the series is the weakest one. I hate it even more when the series in question is the one I love...It really makes me sad :(

After a lot of pondering I decided to give this book 2 stars. First half of the book deserved a 3 star rating but the second half wasn’t as good so it deserved only 2 stars. Actual rating 2.5 stars.

If you had a chance to read my reviews of the previous books of this series you know that I gave them much praise and t This is difficult to rate. I hate it when the last book in the series is the weakest one. I hate it even more when the series in question is the one I love...It really makes me sad :(

After a lot of pondering I decided to give this book 2 stars. First half of the book deserved a 3 star rating but the second half wasn’t as good so it deserved only 2 stars. Actual rating 2.5 stars.

If you had a chance to read my reviews of the previous books of this series you know that I gave them much praise and that the second book, Sword of the North, was one of the best sequels I’ve read.

When I started reading this everything was going smooth, the story picked up where it left off, the North was in a state of war and I was excited and eager to find out how will things play out. It also gave me an opportunity to once again enjoy the adventures of my favorite characters in this series, Brodar Kayne and his loyal friend Jerek, known as the Wolf.

The ending of the second book left us with a cliffhanger, an ancient race called the Fade were coming back to Trine with a threat to destroy all of the humanity. They are the focus of the second half of the book and in my opinion, they are the reason why everything went wrong.

The biggest issue I had with the Fade is their technology. They are an ancient race, a couple of thousands years old and they are using relics from a time they refer as “the time before”. Those relics are hand-cannons and crystal swords and I didn’t see a problem in that. They arrived on a huge ship wielding a huge cannon with enough power to destroy everything in its path. I didn’t see a problem in that as well. BUT, when their ruler arrived by an AIRPLANE, that was the moment I had to draw the line! It doesn’t end with that, they’re using elevators, cameras, drones, mind controlling devices and all that stuff was simply too much for me to digest. The worst moment was when the main characters had to use that airplane to travel. This is not a steampunk or an urban fantasy so having an airplane transporting barbaric Northmen is just plain wrong! For fuck’s sake! Why?!

I can understand that with inclusion of the Fade, author wanted to give this story a grander scale but I think they were unnecessary because there were already enough interesting threads to explore further and conclude them in a better way. Although some of the conclusions were somewhat unsatisfying, the ending delivered a poetic justice.

In the end, I can’t help but wonder would this book achieve its much deserved potential if the author decided to take things in a different direction… ...more

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Dec 02, 2016 Bookwraiths rated it liked it

Shelves: fantasy, review-freebie, e-books, grimdark

Originally reviewed at Bookwraiths.

Dead Man’s Steel was a novel I was eagerly looking forward to reading. The Grim Company and The Sword of the North list among my favorite grimdark novels from the recent past, so, naturally, I assumed the final volume would be the best yet. Unfortunately, after finishing this installment of the series, all I feel is disappointment and a longing for what might have been.

Picking up where The Sword of the North ended, the new masters of Dorminia are the legendary ...more

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Dec 27, 2016 Andy rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fant-epic, 2016-shortlist, 2017-shortlist

Found the last part easier to acclimatise with than the middle book, mind that’s oft the case.

Its a tried & trusted formulaic trilogy with book 1 getting all the gang together, book 2 sees them go separate paths on their quests whilst book 3 puts them all on converging paths for the grand finale.... sound familiar?? No honest im not pouring scorn on whats fast becoming a standard grimdark plot as I do actually enjoy it so long as I ration my fill of it which I have done of late & maybe one of t Found the last part easier to acclimatise with than the middle book, mind that’s oft the case.

Its a tried & trusted formulaic trilogy with book 1 getting all the gang together, book 2 sees them go separate paths on their quests whilst book 3 puts them all on converging paths for the grand finale.... sound familiar?? No honest im not pouring scorn on whats fast becoming a standard grimdark plot as I do actually enjoy it so long as I ration my fill of it which I have done of late & maybe one of the main reasons I so enjoy this series – One series a cycle as I love to share my book love around a fair few genres & it jus doesn’t seem rehashed to me. I really enjoy these style of characters, some they be sympathetic, others deeply misunderstood, gentle giants, gobshytes, right wicked bastards, spiteful cripple that you root for (sound familiar anyone?), sword wielding hero, Battle Axe(s) wielding hero, mages, Augmenters, witches covens, demons, the undead & some race who kicked the Elves arses & have us humans up next!!...... I think I covered most of the cast.

The downside, the book was split into 4 seasons & whilst I enjoyed Winter & Spring as it followed the story & our heroes....... Sumer & Autumn was told from a narration style where the story continued but was wrapped up in piece-meal here n there, parts were rushed, others seemed forced, some even contrived....... I wont say more but I did find myself not really enjoying the final ¼ of the book, it seemed a different writer & for sure a different style. I felt really flat at the end.....

Overall IF you read shedloads of Grimdark you may not find enough differences amongst this to entice but if you’re an occasional into this genre & hanker for a newish author a la Abercrombie in character style you could do far worse than Luke Skull’s offering of the Grim Company.

I like’s it immensely for about 2 & ¾ of the trilogy, 3 stars for the book & 4 stars for the trilogy overall.

You might actually think my review is a bit of a hashup! Fair point Id say & so is the book on review....... ...more

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Jan 07, 2017 Paul O'Neill rated it it was amazing

Puts book down
Stands on table
Slow claps Luke Scull for delivering a damn good trilogy

Up there with my top trilogies (Mistborn B Sanderson and Broken Empire M Lawrence). Absolutely fantastic, this final book was the best one yet and soooo satisfying.

This had me on the edge of my seat, I could not put it down. I already want to go back and read the first book again.

The characters are awesome. I cared for each and every one. Usually there is an annoying one (well Cole is annoying but he's annoyin ...more

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Oct 14, 2018 Mark Lawrence added it

This was an enjoyable conclusion to the trilogy. It maintained the same style shown throughout the series, though with the humour dialled back somewhat.

The writing, especially in the early chapters, felt as if it had stepped up a notch. The cast remains large but they spend a lot of time together in groups that then merge to one big group.

Davarius Cole and Brodar Kayne remain the twin foci of the story. Davarius continues to be a bit of a Two-Face, brooding and tragic one moment, flip and shallo ...more

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Apr 20, 2017 Lancer rated it it was amazing

I've said it a couple of times as ive read through this series but the amount of complete ridiculousness that Scull was able to pack into these rather short (approx 400 page) books is absurd, but absurd in the greatest way possible. Every time you think he can pack in any more crazy plot points or ideas he somehow manages to. Some suspension of disbelief is required to enjoy these as much as I did.

Also a number of characters from the trilogy will be making into to my imaginary favourite charact ...more

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Sep 08, 2016 Ahmad Sharabiani added it

Shelves: epic, 21th-century, fiction, fantasy

Dead Man's Steel (The Grim Company, #3), Luke Scull

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Dec 04, 2016 Manoj Subberwal rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy

Great finish to a great trilogy, Jerek and Kayne are probably my favorite characters among all fanatasy books i read

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Aug 31, 2017 David rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

Hey! You've got your SciFi in my Fantasy!

Pretty good finale for the Grim Company, though I'd call this one the third best of the series. So, a tiny bit of let-down at the ending. Still, I devoured this series and had great fun reading all 3 of the books.

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Apr 25, 2017 Joe Lindley rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Great ending to an enjoyable trilogy

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Dec 26, 2016 Michael rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This is the 3rd book in "The Grim Company" trilogy by Luke Scull. This is an epic Fantasy adventure with all the elements a great fantasy needs. In my reviews of the last two books I mentioned that they had everything a great Fantasy needs except a dragon. Well this one has the dragon! In this one the Grim Company reunites to fight an invasion of demons from out of the north and an invasion of Fade, an immortal and nearly indestructible race, from across the ocean. Both the demons and the Fade a ...more

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Apr 06, 2017 G.R. Matthews rated it really liked it

It has the same gritty tone as the other books in the series and the characters come back, and keep coming back...

The book is full of death and heroes coming back from death, or at least the very brink of death.

It is also a book of multiple endings. An ending is not necessarily the end, even the end might not be the end, though it might be.

I enjoyed the story and characters, there is a lot crammed into the pages and the pace rarely drops. A fitting, and exciting end to the series.

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Mar 07, 2019 THE BIBLIOPHILE (Rituranjan) rated it really liked it

A satisfying conclusion to the trilogy in terms of the story, as far as I'm concerned. It builds up on a grand scale, escalates the tension and conflicts, and delivers a enjoyable climax. Although some readers are somehow disappointed in the manner the story progressed, I'm actually quite enthusiastic and intrigued after reading it. Scull has explored the mythical Fade and their motivations, while giving a vivid picture of the decrepit conditions humanity is in. There isn't clear demarcations of A satisfying conclusion to the trilogy in terms of the story, as far as I'm concerned. It builds up on a grand scale, escalates the tension and conflicts, and delivers a enjoyable climax. Although some readers are somehow disappointed in the manner the story progressed, I'm actually quite enthusiastic and intrigued after reading it. Scull has explored the mythical Fade and their motivations, while giving a vivid picture of the decrepit conditions humanity is in. There isn't clear demarcations of heroes and villains here. One could easily fathom and understand the Fade and their distrust in human civilization, and also the humanity's fear about them. This is a story about choices that the characters make despite the shitty situation and circumstances. This is a story where the world is painted in grey, where good and evil has no clear definitions. I will say that this is one of the best grimdark fantasy novels I have read this year.

I liked the way how Scull has mixed elements of steampunk, and sci-fi along with the spirit of epic fantasy. The mythology is nicely integrated, though there is enough scope for further development. I absolutely loved reading about the Fade, their sense of wisdom, efficiency, and brutality. Scull did a clever job of showing them in their power and glory, though it is somewhat diminished to their ancestors. I hope that Scull writes a full-length novel around the Fade, regarding their conflict with the Elves, dragonkind, their conflict with the Demons and the Nameless, giving us more information about ''the time before''. I bet, it would be one hell of a book. It was also excellent to see how the imminent clash between the Fade and humanity is staged for a final showdown, and there is a lot of speculation and counter-maneuvers in regards to this, in which each of our familiar characters has a role to play.

We see two different sides of the story in this book. The white Lady and her lover are the last two magelords in the world who has the power and magic to thwart the Fade, and they are a dynamic duo. Meanwhile Brodar Kayne and his group fights a desperate battle with demons and migrates to the lowlands in search of food and shelter. Sasha is experimented upon, and she somehow survives, being like a kind of human cyborg with advanced senses and telekinesis. Davarus Cole goes on an errand in order to unite humanity to oppose the Fade in accordance to the wishes of the White Lady. The godly essence of the Reaver now resides within his soul, and makes him a terrifying killer, while he tries to control it and refuses to succumb it at the same time. I enjoyed the way how things played out, though it appeared to be a little contrived. But, somehow it managed to give a fitting end, which was sort of bittersweet, given the amount of grimness. I'm definitely excited to see what Luke Scull comes up with next, because, he has the talent and a brilliant imagination. ...more

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Dec 28, 2016 Thomas Barnard rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Not only a poor final entry to a mediocre series, but a poor fantasy novel in general. Completely bereft of tension, good characters, or even an interesting plot and, worst of all, the story takes you through a journey with no apparent direction. You will end up lost, confused, and desperately trying to decide why you stuck out this 15 hour slog.

Since the Grim Company series started with its eponymous first entry I have been quite critical of nearly every aspect of it. The reason I continued rea Not only a poor final entry to a mediocre series, but a poor fantasy novel in general. Completely bereft of tension, good characters, or even an interesting plot and, worst of all, the story takes you through a journey with no apparent direction. You will end up lost, confused, and desperately trying to decide why you stuck out this 15 hour slog.

Since the Grim Company series started with its eponymous first entry I have been quite critical of nearly every aspect of it. The reason I continued reading through was because I was intrigued by the concept of these powerful mages decimating the gods who had ruled over them, and was so eager to see the events come full circle. This does not happen. Instead what we are presented with is about five different stories all twisted in to one book, all of it relating only briefly to what came before. And without a doubt this is the worst entry in the series.

So after the Sword of the North’s climax, the Fade (or fehd) have attacked the Trine and see Humans to be unworthy of their existence, and seek to wipe them out. There is one though that sees potential in those he has lived so long amongst; Isaac, and he puts his faith in the humans once more as he tries to argue for their vindication. At the same time the Demons are causing havoc in the north, as Brodar Kayne seeks to free his son from Krazka and reunite with his wife, and Davarus Cole and Sasha find themselves in an uneasy alliance with the White Lady.

Considering the paltry length of this novel, there are so many threads that no one aspect is given the time it deserves. What Scull succeeds in doing is creating a life or death situation for his protagonists, then resolves it within a dozen pages. You never feel the tension of the situation, or that our heroes are ever truly in any threat. And this happens constantly throughout the story, with every element rushed and decided within such a short amount of time that it removes any joy from reading the exploits unfold.

To read the full review please visit my site.
...more

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Dec 13, 2016 Sean Bradshaw rated it really liked it

My first thoughts on reading the first book of this trilogy was that this mofo has ripped off JA , and whilst there are parallels I'm pleased to say I was wrong , I thoroughly enjoyed all 3 books , strong characters I was sad to see the back of and a satisfying conclusion. There's plenty of action and also an interesting subtext about the nature of the world the story takes place in that is alluded to throughout. Looking forward to seeing more from The Scull.

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Sep 17, 2017 Kurama9 rated it liked it

Dead Man’s Steel is book 3 of 3 in The Grim Company series. I did enjoy this book, but I found the previous two books better. The storytelling didn’t seem to flow as well as the previous two, not until the last 3rd of it. I enjoyed how the series wrapped up and it even left a small opening for another book if the author wanted to expand the series.

I thought the inclusion of the Fade and their technology was a bit much, considering the first two books centered on a civilization of where machines ...more

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Sep 03, 2017 Amy Braun rated it it was amazing

Gods above and below. I can't remember a book that has sucker-punched me this hard. It was merciless, didn't care who you loved or what you hoped for them. It completely breaks you and leaves you screaming "why why why"... and yet... I still loved it and still recommend it. The story was as intense as the previous two books, packed to the brim with betrayal and heartbreak. I can count on one hand how many truly happy moments there were, and still have fingers to spare. It was great to see more c ...more

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Apr 11, 2017 Colby Blake rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I truly enjoyed the entire series. Was a roller coaster ride & felt that the character Cole's development wasn't exactly what it should be but the character was still very enjoyable. Look forward to more books from this author! ...more

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Jan 08, 2017 Immie rated it it was ok

Shelves: immie

Disappointed -- Feel like the author suddenly had an idea for a totally different series, got excited, and decided to try to fit it into this one. Really liked the first 2 books, but this read like a fanfiction mashup.

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Feb 24, 2017 RG rated it liked it

Bittersweet ending. Scull has a lot of promise to be one of my fav authors. Just felt this was rushed and had some very strange/weird plotlines. Hopefully he can bring back a novel worthy of Bk 1 or 2.

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Jul 17, 2019 Jakyro rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

A good closure for a satisfying series. I prefer the final book over the first, but I also feel that the second book is better than this one. Nonetheless this was still a very enjoyable read. Luke Scull succeeded in closing of the major plot lines. There are still some threads hanging, but this gives opportunity to write more in this world, something Luke Scull apparentely is currently doing.

The story picks up where we left it in the second book with Brodar Kayne in the north, Sasha and Cole str ...more

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May 16, 2017 The Tattooed Book Geek (Drew). rated it really liked it · review of another edition

As always this review can also be found on my blog The Tattooed Book Geek: https://thetattooedbookgeek.wordpress...

I received a free copy of this book courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Dead Man's Steel is the stellar finale to Luke Scull's The Grim Company trilogy following on from The Grim Company and Sword of the North.

Taking place after the events at the conclusion of the previous book (Sword of the North) we are thrust right back into the action.

Told from multiple ch ...more

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Dec 20, 2018 Skuzzy rated it it was ok

Well.

Spend 3 books building up a conflict with the Herald > Have the "final battle" be about as anti-climatic as can possibly be. Luke spends so much time building up the conflict with the Demon's to have it end with no real battles vs the Demons, and when they fight the Herald it's asleep and the whole ordeal is over in a page. I'm more character development and dialogue oriented than action (action isn't even a secondary appeal to me) but oh my God this was underwhelming as can possibly be.

Pre ...more

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Dec 11, 2016 Nick Brett rated it really liked it

The end of a satisfying trilogy (and you do need to read them in order). As we reach the final part a lot is thrown in, our Northern warriors, an invasion from an almost invincible from the other side of the world, and the additional problem of demons pouring in. Oh and the use of ancient technology...
This does channel the late, great David Gemmell and a bit of the modern master, Joe Abercrombie but the author tries and succeeds in giving this his own voice. Characters are well defined and you d ...more

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Jan 05, 2017 Nicholas Jagelman rated it liked it

So loved the first two books, yes the writing was clumsy and yes the world was insane but it was fun, the character are interesting and you could see some real growth in them, and the overall story arc seemed good. Like a Mark Lawernce story, but with worse dialogue, which given how rarely you get good grim fantasy is still pretty great.

Now of you are in the same place as me going into the third book, stop. Put down this book and slowly step away from it, this is no Wheel of Osheim. The book sta ...more

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Dec 17, 2016 Ralph rated it it was amazing

I received a free copy of this ebook through Netgalley.com, the author Luke Scull, and/or the publisher, Berkeley Publishing Group, in exchange for a review.

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 e ...more

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Feb 25, 2017 Richard Eyres rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook_2017

OH dear, this book dissolved into gibberish. Too many 'hey, what a cool idea, need to throw that in' were added to this. The narrative and pace was all over the place and was confusing. I would imagine it will be a good re-read, but i don't believe we need to read a book once to enjoy it as it should be in the next read.
Some of the characters were great (i am looking at you Wolf), but they needed something to work with better.
This had potential as a series, but lost it in this book. Disappointed ...more

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Dec 12, 2016 Milan rated it really liked it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Dec 25, 2016 Louise Hendley rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Really enjoyed this latest installment in the Grim Company series. There is potential I feel for further adventures with some of the characters, although for quite a few their journey will go no further! This has been one of my favorite series. I liked (most) of the characters I met on the journey and cared what happened to them along the way which to me is what a good book is all about.

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Dec 18, 2016 Steve Wasling rated it really liked it · review of another edition

That went about as well as expected! I have this image in my head of Luke Scull sniggering to himself as he thinks of each messed up situation these characters find themselves in. Still, could be worse; The Vogons didn't turn up at the end!

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About Luke Scull

Luke Scull

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LUKE SCULL was born in and lives in Bristol. Luke also designs computer roleplaying games and has worked on several acclaimed titles for Ossian Studios and Bioware.

Luke's first novel, THE GRIM COMPANY, was shortlisted for the David Gemmell Morningstar Award, 2014.

Visit his website at: www.lukescull.com ...more