Wrath of the Royals

The Darkslayer #1

by Craig Halloran

As the underlings rally all the evil forces they can muster to destroy the mystical and legendary Darkslayer, something unexpected has upset the delicate balance of good and evil on the world called Bish, making the Darkslayer a pawn in other insidious disputes.

Genres: Fantasy, Amazon, Fiction, Sword and Sorcery, Dark Fantasy, Ebooks, Epic Fantasy

326 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 1, 2010

About the author

Craig Halloran grew up a role playing fiend and dungeon master's nightmare. Since, he's turned his boundless creativity into more than 80 acclaimed novels that span a wide variety of fantasy fiction sub-genres, from epic fantasy, sword-and-sorcery to future world apocalypse. Creator of the bestselling Darkslayer and the Chronicles of the Dragon series, he imagines unique worlds and wonders that are breathtaking in concept, and then brings them to life in stories brimming with excitement, suspense, and surprise. A former military policeman who now labors in the realm of the remarkable, Halloran has a large and loyal following of devoted fans who eagerly devour his page-turning, action-packed tales of fantastic adventure.

For more news and anecdotes you can follow him at:
Facebook: The Darkslayer Report by Craig
Twitter: Craig Halloran
www.craighalloran.com (Website and Blog)
www.thedarkslayer.com
www.dragonwarsbooks.com

Or drop him a line anytime as he loves to hear from readers: craig@thedarkslayer.com

***

#1 Bestseller of Epic Fantasy and Sword & Sorcery & KDP All-Star!

Dragon Wars (20 Books) releasing 2020-21

The Darkslayer Series #1 (6 Books)

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Over 4000 reviews
4-Star+ Average Rating

Reviews

[Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a prequel book to the Darkslayer series and though it was a short introduction, I still really liked the book.

Venir a/k/a the Darkslayer decides to go on a journey to lay waste to creatures called Underlings. These menacing creatures will kill anything and everything in their path. Just within the few pages of this short story there was quite a bit of action. I will be continuing the series at a later date. Giving this book three stars.

[J.P. Wilder · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book. It is so much like the old fantasy adventure stories from my youth that I felt like I was in a time warp. Imagine the great stories of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser and you will have an interesting parallel to this book.

The book is full of action and keeps you at the edge of your seat, wondering what is going to happen next. Sometimes however, this can create a meandering feel to it. Each episodic scene could sometimes feel disconnected to the overall plot line.

I enjoyed the characters and their relationships to each other. I would have liked to see a little more development, but I don’t think that this book was designed for that.

It is a fun, romping read in a well-developed setting that keeps your interest, without a ton of deep thinking—Just as it was designed. I suggest you read this book, if you enjoy tales of daring-do!

[Chandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

AUTHOR: Craig….wow you are long-winded. I can see where this book could have been chopped possible into another book. Many adventures. Many creatures. Many actions, incidences, travels. OMGoodness. Slow down Craig and let my brain catch up.

GENRE: Science fiction.

SETTING: world of Bish

CENTRAL MALE CHARACTER: Venir, a warrior. Melegal, a thief.

SYNOPSIS: Venir is battle strong and always battle ready. He is also hated by the Underlings who want to destroy him. Melegal, his shadow, is always ready to make coin from Venir’s strength. Together life takes them everywhere to battle anything on the world of Bish.

SEXUAL EXPLICITNESS: Nothing more than the characters carousing. Nothing explicit.

WHAT I LIKED: How Bish was created and the overall characteristics of Bish.

WHAT I DID NOT LIKE: Too many characters in one book. Let’s see. Humans, Orcs, Half-orcs, Dwarves, Gnolls, Underlings, Kobold bandits, Arachna-men, the Royals, Blood Rangers, the Vicious, etc. etc.

I give this book (3) stars because too much Sci-fi in one book. As previously stated, “difficult to wrap my head around so many separate events and characters in one book”.

[Devin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly this short story introduction was actually pretty cool and made me want to learn more about this world. I'll definitely be looking into the other 2 full length series this prequel goes to.

[ShannaBanana✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this and can’t wait to start the next book. Venir and his little thief friend, Melegal are such great characters and I love their friendship. I don’t understand yet why we needed a kid coming along for the ride but oh well. I was perfectly happy with just Venir and Melegal. Regardless, I gave this five stars.

[Dee Vyper · Rating 4 out of 5]

A grand Swords and Sorcery epic

Craig Halloran has really cast the fireball out of the arena here with tantalizing style. Accurate elements right out of your favorite gaming scenarios, in a easily digestible feast for most everyone who appreciates the fantasy genre. A bit of Elric but not nearly as bleak. A
It's an enjoyable read that has me thinking I need to pick up more of his work.

[Christinaraven · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a cool short story to introduce me to a new series. It was interesting enough that I will will go try the others. It had an epic fantasy feel to it that I grew up reading. Sounds like the series will have lots of battle scenes and warriors abound. Plus I liked the enchanted armor. Add in warriors, royals, and quests it will be really interesting series to read.

[Christopher · Rating 2 out of 5]

What up, Bish? Plotless hack n slash pulp. An initial D&D session.

On a world named Bish (bad name) in the City of Bone (better name), the first volume of Halloran's "Darkslayer" 6 volume hexology (it's a real word) has snippets of enjoyable sequences but aside from an introductory set piece where our protagonists (warrior Venir and thief Melegal) offend some high-born Royals and then have to flee, there's nary a plot to be found.

The entire book is Venir and Melegal on the (fairly leisurely) run from the royals and their scattered and largely pointless encounters/battles with a race of evil creatures called "underlings" along the way

Basically it's one longish D&D session and we learn that Venir is some kind of ubermensch called "The Darkslayer" who exists to be the scourge of the underlings and yet, Venir also seems to get his ass kicked fairly regularly either by city guards, barmen, or local toughs. It seems he's only at his best fighting underlings....which tends to undercut the impressiveness of his Darkslayeressness.

Anyway, Venir and Melegal bring in some other side-characters into their group and they go traipsing along until a final battle with an underling horde and you kind of know where this is going don't you?

There is an interesting side-element (I can't call it a subplot because it doesn't go anywhere) in which the world of Bish exists in a cosmology populated by immortal beings who create countless worlds with varied characteristics as experiments to watch. Basically world-sized ant-farms. And Bish is one such world that was created without the ability to evolve and "The Darkslayer" exists to keep the world in balance....until another immortal being injects a bit of (as yet undefined) counterbalance into the mix. It's a neat little aside that shows some promise.

Other than that, "Wrath of the Royals" is such a quick, airy read that could be better than it is but doesn't really need to be for it is what it is.

[Brian Turner · Rating 2 out of 5]

At the start of this book, you think it's going to be similar to Fritz Leibers Fafhrd and Gray Mouser (big hulking warrior and slim thief as inseparable companions having adventures).

However, it soon turns out that the warrior is on a mission to destroy all the Underlings (the evil race in this particular novel), rarely listens to his friends and does what he pleases. Some of this is caused by his magic armour and weapons compelling him (or making his anger for the Underlings all consuming).

So, between his magic armour and the work of the omnipotent being who created the planet they are on, there's just mindless action, getting into a bind, and then a deus ex machina type of resolution before the next fight.

The author has tagged on a prequel at the end of the story to explain how the warrior got his magic weapons, but even before then, he didn't listen to the people he was with and got into a problem through just doing what he pleased.

I got this book as it was free on Amazon Kindle store, the other books in the series need to be bought, but based on this first one I won't be getting them.

[Ross Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This 40 page novella is a good, fun introduction to the world of the Darkslayer, similar to a Witcher: a man who wanders the wilds slaying evil creatures for payment. Here we are introduced to Venir (and briefly his companion Melegal), a hard-drinking brute of a man who we find is known as the Darkslayer. He ventures out from the city of Bone into the wilds, partly to earn his keep slaying the wild Underlings (nasty little wild creatures who kill children and keep giant spiders as pets); partly to escape the morning-after realisation of who he slept with.

Not exactly high-brow literature, but a well told, axe-swinging, action-packed tale of one man against the wilds.

As with other series, this introduction was written some time after/during the main series and intended as a nice little introduction. I am expecting to meet some of the characters again as I continue with the main series.

[MGB · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short brutal beginning to the Darkslayer series of books. If you want a hero with nonstop action overcoming incredible odds this story is for you. A very slow intro then the nonstop action, then the book is over. Not a decent ending, just stopped as if it were missing the next chapter.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very fun book with an interesting world! The pace was nice and the characters were very interesting!

[Ross Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wrath of the Royals, the first in the 16 book Darkslayer series following Venir, the Darkslayer (an axe-wielding barbarian) and his companion Melagal (the cowardly "rogue") as they run from the titular wrath of one of the royal families. Venir tends to get himself into bets, as alpha male types just seem attracted to him, and one such bet ends him in the bad books with one of the most powerful, and twisted, royal families.

This leads to the pair going on the run to escape the inevitable wrath. However, little do they know that the Underlings (those twisted, evil humanoids Venir is driven to hunt) are after Venir from different angles - one due to his relentless genocide of their race, and another due to being hired to hunt him down by the royals.

On the surface, I expected this to be a basic sword and sorcery tale; the barbarian wandering the wilds hacking down the Underlings. I was pleasantly surprised to find a fairly well told tale with different layers and a more intricate plot than I had expected.

Halloran's prose is decent, with a good knack for getting the balance between over-narration and concise descriptions. There is enough description of the world without it being laboured. There are some odd choices for phrases or wording here or there (eg "Impending pain was on its way"), and the book could do with a decent thorough edit, but for a first book it is a good effort.

The world of Bish turns out to be something of an experiment on the part of a God, seeing if she can design a world that will remain in permanent conflict for eternity, good and evil constantly vying but neither side ever truly winning. While this could be seen as literally setting up for "deus ex machina" whenever the author chooses, this didn't really come to the fore in this book.

Venir is a reasonably well-crafted character, albeit a stupid brute and something like Logen Ninefingers from Joe Abercrombie's First Law (when he puts on his magical helmet (yes I know!) he becomes more driven to destruction, somewhat akin to the emergence of The Bloody Nine). Numerous times he just gets up in the night and wanders off searching for the conflict he has sensed, the helmet guiding him onwards. But his actions play well off those of his travelling companions, which has now become something like the fellowship of the ring, but without a ring.

The book ends with an extended epilogue giving an idea of Venir's life before he found his magical axe, shield and mind-controlling helmet.

A good self-contained book, which concludes well and could be read on its own, without continuing the series, though I plan to (ideally before my Kindle Unlimited period runs out!).

[Hakuzo Sionnach · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to the audio book version of this one.

This story was an interesting one and makes you think on who is really in control. There was only a sprinkling of magic in this one. It felt like a DnD game to me but we'll told.

The characters you never really get to fully know in one sitting. you are left wondering all the time about them. they feel realistic enough but over all you never get to meet any one character on a deeper level.

many outside forces seem to play over this world and it gives you pause to think if the same is happening to our world.

through this story, there is no clear overarching enemy. you run into an antagonist that is delt with but, the story feels a bit unguided. a lot of stuff happens but it's hard to tell where the story is going. The out of word scenes felt a bit jarring when they come up and pulled me a bit out of the story.

over all it's a good story but it could use a bit more lead in to the plot.

[Jodi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not sure yet

I first purchased this book back in 2013 and didn't get more than a few pages in before I gave up. Seeing that there are 15 more books now in the series, I thought I should give it another try. This book is extremely hard to get in to. It was even painful at times. Overly descriptive scenery that often contradicted itself in the same paragraph drove me nuts. I found myself skipping over these parts.

I have finally made it to the end, and I will buy the next book. I have read other books by Mr Halloran that were great. I am not sure if this is one of his earlier works and that is why the writing is so bad. But I am hoping that this series gets better as it goes, because it does have potential.

[Andrew Hale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Life's a Bish some times.

Venir, of the village Throhm, raised in the City of Bone, hunter of the Outlands where he is known only as the Darkslayer.

The author gave life and personality to the characters. Venir is an absolute beast and I quite enjoyed his savagery. He was like a supernatural version of Conan of Cimmeria, with a slight more humor to him.

I think I will continue with more stories due to Venir as a character though the environment of the immortal world builders makes it seem like a vicious cycle of events that will go on forever. The races becoming their own immortal gods of their own worlds is very reminiscent of Mormonism but I have no reason to say that this is the author's intention.

[Kitty_ranma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Chongo."
Audio version.
This was great a lot going on. Though a bit of a cliffhanger which I don't care for. I look forward to the next part.
The narrator brings it to life.
This Audiobook was given to me for free at my request from the publisher, author or narrator and I provided this unbiased voluntary review.
Reasons I enjoyed this book:
Action-packed, Easy-to-read, Entertaining, Funny, Great world building, Tragic, Wonderful characters.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a very fun read. Literally, non-stop axe ass kicking action. There were a few things left to be desired... like the characters seem invincible, and it gives me a bit of distance or lack of empathy. Other than some small things, not to my taste thought, it was a good book. I understand this is the first book and may be clunky. I am going to start the next ASAP and would recommend this to a friend.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mind blowing!

The narrator's creativity in this story, blew me away! The story is just as phenomenal. I was hooked in the 1st 5 minutes. The sound effects brought the imagination to the forefront. The book is picture perfect as if I was watching the movie! The world building is superb! I can't wait to finish this story!

[Jeanne Johnston · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kind of Witcher-y

I had a hard time getting into this, for some reason, and it took forever to read. Was so glad to get to the end, only to find an epilogue that was really a prequel. Why? No clue. Given the many editing misses, maybe there was no one to insist this was a dumb choice.

[Craig Jr. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun, fast-paced Fantasy adventure. Think Conan the Barbarian or in a very R.A. Salvatore Drizzt style of writing. The narrator of the audio book even reminds me of the narrator for the Drizzt books. The plot is lower, but the action and tension is high. A lot of fun throughout.

[Juan 🇵🇷 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book. I enjoyed it a lot. Lots of action and world-building with relatable characters. Incredibly entertaining.

[John Wood · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it, good story. Certainly a change of pace from reading apocalyptic and crime fiction stories. Looking forward to reading book 2.

[James Groenestein · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic - there's no other words needed!!

[Kent Mattoon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best sci-fi fantasy books I have read in years. I have read the first two books of the series and cant wait for the rest. Highly recommend Craigs books.

[Geri Winney]

I have no idea what, if anything, is happening.

[Terry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Conan knockoff

Much of the story seems like a paraphrase of many Conan books. Someone interesting characters. Fast-paced action. Just always felt a little derivative.

[Kyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Relatively predictable., but still enjoyable. Definitely waiting for book 2

[Todd]

180 pages in just didn't do it for me

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think Craig Halloran is probably one hell of a dungeon master. His world-building intrigued me, and Bish, where Darkslayer is set would be quite a world to play in

But...

This book oscillated between Meh and Guh for me. Venir, the Darkslayer, is boring. He never loses. I never connected to him or felt like he was in any danger or that he had troubles, so consequently I found myself not ever caring about him. Much the same way that I don't care about Super-Man. His sidekick, Melegal was a whiner, and seemed to serve little to no purpose other than to be there to whine and wish he had women to bed.

Then there were the Gods of Bish. Every 5-10 chapters we would get a glimpse into these super, god-like beings. Sort of like Q from Star-Trek: TNG except they served little to no purpose. The chapters could have easily been deleted and the story would have been just fine.

All this was truly disappointing because I believe Craig Halloran has some real talent.

He creates interesting language. I particularly love the way his characters swear. He crafted some memorable and usable swear words. Much the same way I want to curse things using "CROM!" after reading a Conan the Barbarian piece or watching one of the movies, or swear using Marvel's Thor's pantheon of curses, I want to wander around saying "Bish and Bone" and "Slat" to people.

Some have said his villains were stupid. I disagree. In an obvious D&D type setting it's easy to go to goblins, orcs or some Lich or Necromancer as a villain, but Halloran has created a new race of Underlings, which I found kind of fascinating. Our primary villain, Oran, the exiled underling mage has a hell of a back-story, and I found myself empathizing with him more than any character in the book, and he was a dude who tortured humans for fun and sport. Of course... he dies easily at the hands of the Darkslayer and this made me extremely mad.

Then there's the Private Eye character trapped in a fantasy world. McKnight though a Chandler-esque kind of Trope was interesting for me as well, again... he was easily dispatched in the only real action of any note for Melegal in the whole book. He made some kind of comeback at the end of the book but that was confusing and I couldn't tell if he was alive or being consumed by some weird spider or transformed into a spider or what.

So, for me this book was more disappointment than pleasant surprise. I don't think I'll be reading any more in the series, but I might try another of Mr. Halloran's books because he has talent, I just think he will fully realize it with this character.