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131 Days
The Troll Hunter
A warrior with a secret. A band of cutthroats. And a monster of legend.
A morning that no one wanted. Battle rusty from the war infirmaries, a company of Sujins are ordered to march north through a war torn country, guarding a mysterious koch. They are whipped by the murderous Rusk the Two Knife and led by the enigmatic Bloor, the only cavalier to survive the Field of Skulls.
Together, they will march into the unknown, and arrive at the teeth of hell.
And only one man will possess the skills necessary to bring the survivors back.
A tale of heroic fantasy. Some graphic violence and language.
A morning that no one wanted. Battle rusty from the war infirmaries, a company of Sujins are ordered to march north through a war torn country, guarding a mysterious koch. They are whipped by the murderous Rusk the Two Knife and led by the enigmatic Bloor, the only cavalier to survive the Field of Skulls.
Together, they will march into the unknown, and arrive at the teeth of hell.
And only one man will possess the skills necessary to bring the survivors back.
A tale of heroic fantasy. Some graphic violence and language.
604 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 30, 2010
41 people are currently reading
181 people want to read
About the author
Keith C. Blackmore
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
March 23, 2024
Despite the name, trolls don’t seem to quite fit into the author’s conjured up medieval world. The single troll’s appearance is never explained, their history open to speculation.
Otherwise, strong start - strong finale. That leaves the middle part which, unfortunately, hangs through and crawls on its belly.
In fact, everything about the book is a bit inconsistent. Some characters are well developed, some aren’t. Some descriptions are well-done, others seem just added as an afterthought.
Much is quite predictable, the ending is not.
If you can get through dry phases and the corny, unrealistic stuff, there will be highlights to enjoy.😉
Otherwise, strong start - strong finale. That leaves the middle part which, unfortunately, hangs through and crawls on its belly.
In fact, everything about the book is a bit inconsistent. Some characters are well developed, some aren’t. Some descriptions are well-done, others seem just added as an afterthought.
Much is quite predictable, the ending is not.
If you can get through dry phases and the corny, unrealistic stuff, there will be highlights to enjoy.😉
November 24, 2014
https://bookslifewine.wordpress.com/2...
Trolls - mindless, destructive monsters, driven by their hunger and willing to eat any living thing – especially humans. Terrorizing the countryside and any towns they cross, trolls kill and eat all the humans they can. From far and wide, people travel to locate The Troll Hunters – the only men able to track and kill these man-eating beasts. How did these men become Troll Hunters and what motivates them? This is their story.
That little summary above is a lot closer to what the book is about than the actual blurb. But even then it really doesn’t tell the reader what the book is about before the reader picks it up. And that is the major problem I had with this book – the description of the book does not give the reader any real clue as to what is going on. A friend recommended this book to me – telling me that it was very like David Eddings (one of my favorite authors).
If I had to try to compare this book or author to anyone I would say that Keith C. Blackmore and The Troll Hunter is a lot closer to Glen Cook and The Black Company. This is Military fantasy without any magic…just a really big and really bad troll. Not an evil troll, just destructive and hungry. So, I really wasn’t expecting Military Fiction…and I’ve been a bit of a moody reader lately. I had a bit of a love/hate relationship with this book. The book is very well written and I did enjoy it…I just wasn’t expecting it.
The Troll Hunter actually starts in medias res. The reader is plopped down in the middle of a military barrack and flung directly into a murderous mutiny. I had no clue what was going on for a quite a while (because I was still expecting some Eddings-like action) but the story is well written enough that I was able to get over that. At its heart, The Troll Hunter is a story of military discipline, treachery, love and tragedy. The reader follows several different characters, the most important being Bloor, Alwan, Morriana, and Two Knife.
Bloor was…a rather complicated uncomplicated man. A military man through and through, Bloor’s dedication to discipline and courtesy felt simple at the beginning of the book – and as time passed Bloor became much more complicated. Some of his inner struggles made me think of the character Druss the Legend by David Gemmell but it also reminded me of The Bhagavad Gita (not entirely, of course, because the Bhagavad Gita honors action for action’s sake without the goal of personal reward).
I had some issues with Princess Morianna’s characterization during the flashback. When the reader first meets Morianna, she’s about 15 years old and a total spoiled bitch. It was a bit ridiculous, to be honest. She acted like someone between the ages of 8-10 instead of 14-15. I would have expected Morianna to be a bitch but she wouldn’t have been tossing around insults like “horseface.” I would have expected her insults to be much more cutting and intelligent.
Alwan felt a lot simpler - he was a killer with few morals and loved it – and although he and Bloor sniped at each throughout the book, they were each other’s best friend. It was a strange relationship, to be honest. Two Knife was also simple character – he’s a killer of his own people. Unfortunately, the reader never learns his true motivation.
As I mentioned earlier in this rambling review, The Troll Hunter is a story of military discipline, treachery, love and tragedy. The military discipline is a major theme that runs through the novel. Bloor is known for being a stickler for military discipline. He performs every duty to the exactness in which he was taught – and he expects all military personnel to do the same. Even after Two Knife and his band of cutthroats’ mutiny, he still expects his Sujins (Army) to behave with the discipline that they were trained with.
The theme of treachery is found on multiple fronts: the king of Sunja completely ignores the tragedies of his people while in the midst of a brutal and decimating war; Two Knife and his Sujins mutiny and commit treason; Bloor and Alwan plot
There is a thin thread of love running through the novel as well. Morianna grows from a spoiled bitch to someone who would make a great ruler by learning how to love. Bloor loves his country, he loves being a part of the Cavaliers (Cavalry), and he loves Morianna. There is also a strange connection between Alwan and Bloor that is a strange type of respect, brotherhood and friendship that borders on love.
Tragedy. Gosh, I hate tragedy but it is important to have drama.
If you read the spoiler, you know I pretty much hated the ending. This is a pretty long book – it’s about 150,000 words and if you average 250 words per printed page (as in a MMPB) it’s a solid 604 pages – and I wanted a more satisfying payoff. I felt that Bloor got a really shitty deal and with all of the death, destruction and sadness I dealt with while reading this book…I wanted a bit of a happier ending. And if I don’t get a happy ending I wanted some major ass kicking to happen and I didn’t really get that either. The ending felt…rather abrupt after the lengthiness of the rest of the book. There was also a few lingering questions that I had: What happened to Sunja and the war? The reader spends a lot of time on the front lines with Bloor. Why no hint as to the resolution? What about the king? Does he find out what happens?
So. Good book, especially if you like military fantasy. The story is a little...sad, so be prepared. 4 stars!
Trolls - mindless, destructive monsters, driven by their hunger and willing to eat any living thing – especially humans. Terrorizing the countryside and any towns they cross, trolls kill and eat all the humans they can. From far and wide, people travel to locate The Troll Hunters – the only men able to track and kill these man-eating beasts. How did these men become Troll Hunters and what motivates them? This is their story.
That little summary above is a lot closer to what the book is about than the actual blurb. But even then it really doesn’t tell the reader what the book is about before the reader picks it up. And that is the major problem I had with this book – the description of the book does not give the reader any real clue as to what is going on. A friend recommended this book to me – telling me that it was very like David Eddings (one of my favorite authors).
If I had to try to compare this book or author to anyone I would say that Keith C. Blackmore and The Troll Hunter is a lot closer to Glen Cook and The Black Company. This is Military fantasy without any magic…just a really big and really bad troll. Not an evil troll, just destructive and hungry. So, I really wasn’t expecting Military Fiction…and I’ve been a bit of a moody reader lately. I had a bit of a love/hate relationship with this book. The book is very well written and I did enjoy it…I just wasn’t expecting it.
The Troll Hunter actually starts in medias res. The reader is plopped down in the middle of a military barrack and flung directly into a murderous mutiny. I had no clue what was going on for a quite a while (because I was still expecting some Eddings-like action) but the story is well written enough that I was able to get over that. At its heart, The Troll Hunter is a story of military discipline, treachery, love and tragedy. The reader follows several different characters, the most important being Bloor, Alwan, Morriana, and Two Knife.
Bloor was…a rather complicated uncomplicated man. A military man through and through, Bloor’s dedication to discipline and courtesy felt simple at the beginning of the book – and as time passed Bloor became much more complicated. Some of his inner struggles made me think of the character Druss the Legend by David Gemmell but it also reminded me of The Bhagavad Gita (not entirely, of course, because the Bhagavad Gita honors action for action’s sake without the goal of personal reward).
I had some issues with Princess Morianna’s characterization during the flashback. When the reader first meets Morianna, she’s about 15 years old and a total spoiled bitch. It was a bit ridiculous, to be honest. She acted like someone between the ages of 8-10 instead of 14-15. I would have expected Morianna to be a bitch but she wouldn’t have been tossing around insults like “horseface.” I would have expected her insults to be much more cutting and intelligent.
Alwan felt a lot simpler - he was a killer with few morals and loved it – and although he and Bloor sniped at each throughout the book, they were each other’s best friend. It was a strange relationship, to be honest. Two Knife was also simple character – he’s a killer of his own people. Unfortunately, the reader never learns his true motivation.
As I mentioned earlier in this rambling review, The Troll Hunter is a story of military discipline, treachery, love and tragedy. The military discipline is a major theme that runs through the novel. Bloor is known for being a stickler for military discipline. He performs every duty to the exactness in which he was taught – and he expects all military personnel to do the same. Even after Two Knife and his band of cutthroats’ mutiny, he still expects his Sujins (Army) to behave with the discipline that they were trained with.
The theme of treachery is found on multiple fronts: the king of Sunja completely ignores the tragedies of his people while in the midst of a brutal and decimating war; Two Knife and his Sujins mutiny and commit treason; Bloor and Alwan plot
There is a thin thread of love running through the novel as well. Morianna grows from a spoiled bitch to someone who would make a great ruler by learning how to love. Bloor loves his country, he loves being a part of the Cavaliers (Cavalry), and he loves Morianna. There is also a strange connection between Alwan and Bloor that is a strange type of respect, brotherhood and friendship that borders on love.
Tragedy. Gosh, I hate tragedy but it is important to have drama.
If you read the spoiler, you know I pretty much hated the ending. This is a pretty long book – it’s about 150,000 words and if you average 250 words per printed page (as in a MMPB) it’s a solid 604 pages – and I wanted a more satisfying payoff. I felt that Bloor got a really shitty deal and with all of the death, destruction and sadness I dealt with while reading this book…I wanted a bit of a happier ending. And if I don’t get a happy ending I wanted some major ass kicking to happen and I didn’t really get that either. The ending felt…rather abrupt after the lengthiness of the rest of the book. There was also a few lingering questions that I had: What happened to Sunja and the war? The reader spends a lot of time on the front lines with Bloor. Why no hint as to the resolution? What about the king? Does he find out what happens?
So. Good book, especially if you like military fantasy. The story is a little...sad, so be prepared. 4 stars!
July 31, 2025
I have so much love for this book! I truly didn’t know what I was getting into, but the princess/personal guard tropes is one of my all time favorites. I will always continue to be in awe of the prose that Blackmore creates, and the delicious emotional depth of his characters. Bloor is a badass, grumpy, seasoned veteran of war who is still shown to be capable of love and compassion. This, of course, even surprises him. Full of plenty of action, ambition, war, and blood, but surprisingly not many trolls 👀 with memorable background characters, and a compelling story right up until the end, I would highly recommend this book!
February 23, 2025
The troll stressed me tf out 💀 I was feeling the dread ******* must've felt👀
Aaaand the end broke my cold heart.
This book was a Rollercoaster for my poor feelings 🤺
Aaaand the end broke my cold heart.
This book was a Rollercoaster for my poor feelings 🤺
January 27, 2020
OK, from my perspective, this is the first book of Keith Blackmore that doesn't get a "real" 4 stars from me. This is more 3.5, for one simple reason:
I did not appreciate that most of the book is a flashback. That... didn't work for me.
Everything else? Bloody perfection.
I did not appreciate that most of the book is a flashback. That... didn't work for me.
Everything else? Bloody perfection.
May 8, 2012
Fun story with good action, although halfway through the story took a turn and went back for the background of the characters.
April 19, 2025
Trolling the Hunter!
This is the 3rd book I've read by this author, and having read the two He-Dog novels and absolutely loving them, this book kinda paled in comparison.
Not that it's a bad book by any means.
By the names of people, places and things, this is apparently the same world as the He-Dog novels. As well as the 131 Days series, even though I haven't read those yet. Those and the Mountain Man series I will definitely try out.
Once again, after reading Troll Hunter, this author's prose reminds me strongly of Joe Aberombie. The grizzled, tough-as-nails warriors and gritty dialogue and bloody violence, and low fantasy in his fantasy world. This is great GrimDark!
This book took me by surprise in its chosen, somewhat strange direction. The beginning led me to believe that Getesin and his companions were going to be the lead characters. But then Bloor took this book completely over near the halfway point, where this story completely shifted gears to Bloor's past, showing how he came to be the princess's Guardian, then lover, and how Bloor's scheme from the book's bloody beginning took shape.
This long middle storyline shift to the princess's and Bloor's past was a bit too long for my tastes. The book was really building steam with great battle sequences when it abruptly stopped and switched to Bloor, whom I hated, due to his asinine character.
But I see what the author wanted to show the reader, the growth and character arc of the awful child princess and the overly hard-bitten soldier that Bloor was. I applaud the author in chancing this, and even though the middle half of the book took a bit too long to get back to the main story - hunting down the monstrous troll - that middle plot had a lot of good and interesting plots, action, and good character arcs.
But also I don't see the hard-wired soldier that Bloor is depicted to be changing to a sedentary lifestyle in the castle, babysitting a horrid brat of a child princess. Laying around and drinking heavily all the time didn't fit this character at all. Not the one the first 1/3 of the book built. Bloor would've become a wandering mercenary, or something akin to that. Not a layabout drunkard taking crap from a spoiled princess child.
But, overall, it was still enjoyable, and got even better once the main storyline started back up again for the final 80-90 pages. And like George R. R. Martin, author Blackmore doesn't shy away with killing off main characters.
Solid book, but overlong middle shift in the book, along with misspelled words and POV head-hopping at times, made me take two stars away. But still a very solid read.
If you like writers like R. S. Ford or Joe Abercrombie, mixed with touches of Robert E. Howard, then this and the even better He-Dog Chronicles is for you. I look forward to reading his three other series, from werewolves to Spartacus-sounding 131 Days to post-apocalypse Mountain Man series.
This is the 3rd book I've read by this author, and having read the two He-Dog novels and absolutely loving them, this book kinda paled in comparison.
Not that it's a bad book by any means.
By the names of people, places and things, this is apparently the same world as the He-Dog novels. As well as the 131 Days series, even though I haven't read those yet. Those and the Mountain Man series I will definitely try out.
Once again, after reading Troll Hunter, this author's prose reminds me strongly of Joe Aberombie. The grizzled, tough-as-nails warriors and gritty dialogue and bloody violence, and low fantasy in his fantasy world. This is great GrimDark!
This book took me by surprise in its chosen, somewhat strange direction. The beginning led me to believe that Getesin and his companions were going to be the lead characters. But then Bloor took this book completely over near the halfway point, where this story completely shifted gears to Bloor's past, showing how he came to be the princess's Guardian, then lover, and how Bloor's scheme from the book's bloody beginning took shape.
This long middle storyline shift to the princess's and Bloor's past was a bit too long for my tastes. The book was really building steam with great battle sequences when it abruptly stopped and switched to Bloor, whom I hated, due to his asinine character.
But I see what the author wanted to show the reader, the growth and character arc of the awful child princess and the overly hard-bitten soldier that Bloor was. I applaud the author in chancing this, and even though the middle half of the book took a bit too long to get back to the main story - hunting down the monstrous troll - that middle plot had a lot of good and interesting plots, action, and good character arcs.
But also I don't see the hard-wired soldier that Bloor is depicted to be changing to a sedentary lifestyle in the castle, babysitting a horrid brat of a child princess. Laying around and drinking heavily all the time didn't fit this character at all. Not the one the first 1/3 of the book built. Bloor would've become a wandering mercenary, or something akin to that. Not a layabout drunkard taking crap from a spoiled princess child.
But, overall, it was still enjoyable, and got even better once the main storyline started back up again for the final 80-90 pages. And like George R. R. Martin, author Blackmore doesn't shy away with killing off main characters.
Solid book, but overlong middle shift in the book, along with misspelled words and POV head-hopping at times, made me take two stars away. But still a very solid read.
If you like writers like R. S. Ford or Joe Abercrombie, mixed with touches of Robert E. Howard, then this and the even better He-Dog Chronicles is for you. I look forward to reading his three other series, from werewolves to Spartacus-sounding 131 Days to post-apocalypse Mountain Man series.
September 24, 2024
I was pleasantly surprised to find this book after having read the five available books of the 131 days series. The world that this brilliant author has created is so vivid and real and this book largely covers the regional war between the kingdom of the Suja and the barbarian horde at the gates. Similar to tons of other science fiction and fantasy, this is an overt Roman empire inspired fantasy fiction, using a significant amount of real life historical similarities to inform the captivating and barbaric world depicted therein. The 131 days series covers Sunja Gladiators while this book covers the royal family, the war itself, a troll, and a troll hunter. There's a romantic story that is wholeheartedly devastating in nature and the outcome of the relationship is heartbreaking. If the author decides to write more books in this world, I will read them and I recommend you do too. You are in for a treat.
October 31, 2024
Note: This is a stand-alone novel set in the 131 Days series. Reading the series isn't necessary to enjoy the story and characters, but the war and world have more context if you have.
4.5/5 stars
1/1 ★ for plot
1/1 ★ for characters and character development
1/1 ★ for writing style and narration
1/1 ★ for pace
0.5/1 ★ for world-building
Excellent character development in a tragic, stand-alone love story set in the fantastic 131 Days series, all narrated by the phenomenal John (Rafter) Lee. It also goes into more detail than the series (currently five books) about the war and the royal family. The only minor issue is I don't recall trolls or other mythological creatures mentioned elsewhere in the series, so the troll felt like it came out of nowhere, but the story-telling with it was still great.
4.5/5 stars
1/1 ★ for plot
1/1 ★ for characters and character development
1/1 ★ for writing style and narration
1/1 ★ for pace
0.5/1 ★ for world-building
Excellent character development in a tragic, stand-alone love story set in the fantastic 131 Days series, all narrated by the phenomenal John (Rafter) Lee. It also goes into more detail than the series (currently five books) about the war and the royal family. The only minor issue is I don't recall trolls or other mythological creatures mentioned elsewhere in the series, so the troll felt like it came out of nowhere, but the story-telling with it was still great.
July 25, 2019
I can’t recall the last time I disliked a character only to end up feeling sorrow and liking the character at the end. I hope this is the start of a series because the characters have been given a back story so great!! This was a different type of story that I usually don’t follow. I’ve fallen for it and I hope there are more books in this series!
September 24, 2020
"The Troll Hunter" was not exactly what I expected. I kept thinking it was going to be something else but the way the story unfolds made me enjoy it even more. From the characters to the background world they inhabit I loved it all. I really want more from it.
Bloor is a lot more interesting now that we have a full background. I want more adventures.
Bloor is a lot more interesting now that we have a full background. I want more adventures.
July 14, 2017
Awesome! Got everything i like in a fantasy novel! Heroic fantasy at its best, reminding of greats like Gemmel and Howard. Blackmore does an excellent job and shows us that a great fantasy read does not need to drone on in volume after volume, but could be perfectly told in a single novel.
January 31, 2020
Over all I enjoyed the book. Oddly it gains the achievement of most missing words / spelling mistakes in a book I've read so far.
It did struggle to grab me at first but the more I read the more I enjoyed it.
Bit of an annoying ending like.... Didn't expect that.
It did struggle to grab me at first but the more I read the more I enjoyed it.
Bit of an annoying ending like.... Didn't expect that.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 21, 2024
Enjoyable read
There were some editing blips here and there, but overall a great read.
The author has created a great world and interesting characters. He does great action scenes and his pacing is good overall.
Will definitely pick up a book of his again.
There were some editing blips here and there, but overall a great read.
The author has created a great world and interesting characters. He does great action scenes and his pacing is good overall.
Will definitely pick up a book of his again.
November 8, 2024
Blackmore excels at bringing us flawed heroes. Imperfect everyday people pushed into unexpected roles. This is no exception. There are some editing flaws that detract from the story, and at times it seems to get bogged down, but overall this is another winning novel from Mr. Blackmore.
December 22, 2019
Very entertaining and hard to put down. Hopefully Blackmore will bring a second book to continue the story of these compelling characters.
February 9, 2015
This is a lot different than the Mountain man books and I had a hard time keeping interest reading it. Entertaining? Yes, but difficult to follow, as the main character turns out not to be the main and the story flops all over the place. The ending is a new take and although I hated it , I understand it and even find it incredibly clever. All in all, I give it 4 starts, maybe it was just a let down from the fantastic Mountain man series.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews