Skull of the Lich Lord

The Nameless Dwarf is sentenced to death by the survivors of Arx Gravis. It is a fate he willingly accepts.The assassin Ilesa has abandoned him, and so it falls to the rogue Nils and the wizard Silas to stage a rescue.But with the Lich Lord's grimoire obsessing him more and more, Silas may no longer be in control of his destiny. Sick and close to death, he is haunted by visions of an ebon staff in a forest of tar.As a chilling doom closes in on the companions, the last of the dwarves are threatened with extinction at the hands of ravenous beasts that live only to feed.And in the background, orchestrating it all, lurks an implacable horror Nameless had thought destroyed:A skull with crimson eyes that feast on living souls.All that remains of Otto Blightey, the Lich Lord of Verusia. "Derek Prior always produces masterpieces of storytelling, with great characters full of life, relentless plots, and gripping and intense fight scenes." Mitchell Hogan"Like Bernard Cornwell on 'shrooms!" Dinorah WilsonInternationally bestselling and award winning author Derek Prior excels in fast-paced, high stakes epic fantasy adventure stories in which good ultimately triumphs, but always at a cost.Taking familiar fantasy tropes as a point of departure, Prior expands upon them to explore friendship, betrayal, loyalty and heroism in worlds where evil is an ever-present reality, magic is both a curse and a blessing, and characters are tempered in battle.Winner of best fantasy novel 2012 (The Nameless Dwarf: The Complete Chronicles)Fantasy Faction semifinalist for the SPFBO 2018 (Ravine of Blood and Shadow) The age of glory is on the horizon and Carnac Thayn must make a difficult choice - one that will either save his people or condemn them. Who can be trusted in a land of magic and deceit?"Prior weaves a fully realized world in this rich fantasy." (Kirkus Reviews)"A beautifully written and engrossing masterwork!" (Mitchell Hogan)