Jeremy James Smith

This review is also featured on Behind the Pages: Holtgart

It wasn’t Angus’ time to be a hero. When an accident kills a great foe and Angus is found responsible, the King declares that Angus must prove himself. He begins his journey, traveling the world to fulfill old treaties that have been left alone for years. He will encounter a range of people and attitudes in his quest to prove to himself and the world that he is a hero.

Angus is one of those characters that quickly wins the reader over. His antics are comical and heartwarming. He is willing to defend those around him regardless of who they are. And he never gives up, even when all hope seems lost. His humbleness does make him end up being in some precarious situations, but each one proves to further entertain the reader.

The world-building of Holtgart is phenomenal. Despite Angus meeting so many different races and cultures on his journey, never once did I feel like there was too much information, or that the story was bogged down. Instead, each new experience was brought to life by the way Angus interacted with everyone.

I also loved the small details that made Angus stand out as a dwarven character. Wherever Angus traveled, he made a point to look at the buildings and stone structures. Using his dwarven intuition he judged them by dwarven standards. But not in a condescending. His observations were more out of curiosity than anything else. He also never failed to take a swig of that good old dwarven brandy to start his day and make jokes about dwarves and their drinking habits.

Have you ever read a book that has you so entranced, when it ends you blink and stare at the last page stunned? That was me when I finished Holtgart. I couldn’t believe I had reached the end of the book because I wanted more!… (more)