"If your death ever comes before mine, I hope the gods take my life soon after." Duli and her husband had stated those words to each other several times. Then the day came when his dwarf kin brought his body back from the field of an ambush. As a non-clan dwarf, rendered beardless by old customs, her widowed status places her in the lowest caste of Tok-Maurron. Fearful of her future under a chauvinistic crafters' guild, and unwilling to complete her suicide attempt, Duli's emotions turn to rage directed at the humans. Dwarf traditions forbid women to wage war, yet the ongoing battles leave more widows enticed by her call to action. Ridiculed, chastised, and even jailed in her own chambers for her actions, Duli's struggles for her beliefs are even slowed by her need to earn a living off her non-sanctioned craft. Duli only wishes her own death, but in the process sparks a liberation movement that shakes the subterranean city to its core values. Even if the women win over their clan, they must still prove they have the mettle to face their husbands' killers, and the magic that humans command. The following quote by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich influenced how this story had to be written: "Well-behaved women seldom make history." Reader reviews: "I am a pretty picky reader, although a very avid one. Often i read a book and something feels stretched, or out of place, or out of character, but i found none of that here. This was the first of the books i have read from this author, and as i often do upon finding an author's style i thoroughly enjoy, i intend to pick up and read all the rest. I felt the plot was well developed, well paced, and the motivations of the characters really drew me in, caring about what happened as the plot progressed. I felt the main character was not your typical shiny hero, or dastardly anti-hero. She just felt real. I highly recommend this book, if you enjoy the likes of Lord of the Rings, or World of Warcraft, but are looking for something that is not trying to copy or be a retread of that type of world. This author is one to watch." -Tom H "i found this book right after my husband died. as a new widow, i related to the main character duli more deeply than any character i've ever met. reading this book has helped me grieve and i recommend it to any widow who hopes to truly embrace life. thank you to the author for being part of my healing process." - Amazon Customer "I've read several of this author's previous works, and enjoyed them immensely. This book is very well written and as always with his stories, the battle scenes are intense, with details that pull you in and fully immerse yourself in the story. The characters are well developed and allow you to enjoy loving and hating them. For me, there are only a few books that I find hard to put down. This is one of them." -Lockhart
Autorentext
Douglas was born on Nov 28th, 1971 . He got to live many different places while growing up, courtesy of the assignments the US Army offered to his father. Too quiet and too shy for too long, there was always dreams of other worlds and places...and the desire to write about them.
He got into fantasy role-playing games in his mid-teens. The first such games played on a computer were offered by a Commodore 64. Often Douglas and his brother would create their own tabletop fantasy games and rules as well, all using very basic 6-sided die. Eventually, they also got into Dungeons and Dragons*. As MMORPGs (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games) appeared, he tried a hand at several of them and made several new friends across the internet. To this day he has friends whom he meets in tabletop role-playing games, as well as online adventures. Many of his characters evolved in games, and each developed their own personality.
Inheritance of a Sword and a Path is the second book he has written, though the first published. It starts The Earthrin Stones trilogy, set in the fantasy world of Dhea Loral...a world he created for tabletop role-playing. The Widow Brigade is set in the same world, but a different locale and characters. While The Earthrin Stones trilogy servers as a good overall introduction to Dhea Loral, The Widow Brigade is focused on the dwarf widows of Tok-Maurron and their struggles. Douglas continues to write novels and think up short stories, while pondering the changing world of print vs ebooks.
Douglas lives with his wife and two young autistic children in Minnesota. He works in health care, serving people's healthcare needs in imaging. When most people see him, he is wearing scrubs.
FUN FACTS:
Most influential authors: R.A. Salvatore, Ed Greenwood, Joel Rosenberg, Terry Brooks
Favorite meal: Sausage and pepperoni pizza, with a Pepsi
Favorite role-playing class: Rangers lead the way
Hobbies: Online fantasy games, collecting swords, local Pathfinder games (Paizo)
?Graduated high school at age 16, then faced resistance from the state of Wisconsin because they felt no one under 18 should hold a full-time job.
?Lived on an army base in Germany for 3 years.
?Most loved RPG character endured a long campaign in which he lost twelve horses out from under him and more magical weapons destroyed than he could count. The Dungeon Master finally let him e...