There are a few times in battle where the MC’s just kinda laugh off death or recover too quickly. The one thing I thought may have been, not necessarily poorly done, but just not given enough recognition is the weight of death. A few other standouts include Wyla, a female warrior with something to prove and Bari, a caring and helpful Nidavel (Dwarf). These three friends played off of each other incredibly well and I enjoyed every moment they spent together. Torin with his all around goodness and leadership, Bryn with his sense of humor and bravery, and Grimsa with his loyalty and passion. The main trio of Torin, Bryn, and Grimsa especially stand out. Gillingham does a really great job of making you care about each character that you spend a decent amount of time with. The first thing I want to talk about is the characters. Add in some Vikings, a greater emphasis on trolls, and a troll hunting garrison and you’ve got The Gatewatch. There is a sense of comradeship, of grand adventure, of hearth and home that reminded me so much of the same comfortable feeling that I get when reading The Hobbit.

Don’t get me wrong, it is unique in its own way, but you can tell that the heart and soul of this novel is inspired by The Hobbit. The highest praise that I can give The Gatewatch is that it reminded me a ton of The Hobbit. Receiving this review copy did not impact my review in any way. They say that it is as sweet as mead, but it is a bitter, bitter root.”įirst of all, thank you so much to Joshua Gillingham and Crowsnest Books for the review copy of this book.

“Vengeance is not like they make it out to be in the songs and old tales. The Gatewatch is an epic troll-hunting adventure inspired by the Norse Myths and the Icelandic Sagas. But will it be enough to defeat the Troll King? Their perilous journey back to the land of sun and stars will stretch their strength to the limit, strain their wits, and demand an unspeakable sacrifice. There they learn that an ancient giant has crowned himself king of the trolls and plans to utterly destroy The Gatewatch. When a troupe of meddling dwarves throws them off course they are captured by trolls and taken as prisoners to a secret gathering deep underground. Torin Ten-Trees and his closest companions, Bryn and Grimsa, set out to join The Gatewatch and become trollhunters.

The Gatewatch by Joshua Gillingham