Customer Reviews

The Ways of Khrem

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I found D. Nathan Hilliard's debut novel to be a thoroughly entertaining and engaging read. Nathan has created a vibrant world with rich characters sure to capture your imagination. Myth, magic, punishment and redemption are all used to excellent effect.

If you enjoyed exploring the streets of Sanctuary in "Thieves' World" or Lankhmar from "Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser" then I'm confident you'll want to read this book.

I am a book junkie! khrem is sooo intricate and oh i hope this not the only book about khrem... I really had a good laugh following the banter between the characters as they each got involved in the mysteries.. It Felt like it a bit Sherlock Holmes with the mystery.. I certainly felt like I got to go to a new city.. He created ambience of a place, people, and culture. I want to go back and see my friends again and see what other mysteries and mayhem they'll get into. However I be hiring a guide as those monsters... Um.. Are just scary enough.. In a Alfred hitchcock kind of way. When ever I find an author I like I try to read every thing by them... So you better believe that I will be checking back often for the next work......
Mr. Hilliard you are a great author!

I absolutely loved this book and intend on following Mr. Hilliard's writing for quite a while! I am generally not a fantasy fan, although I have read some here and there, but I have to say that the story was a super good read! The characters of Mr. Cargill and his manservant Grabel are engaging and witty, somewhat of a literary Odd Couple, and the Watch Captain with his Watchmen (Drayton, Heinryk and Poole)round out the cast of characters that keep you glued to the book. Of course, throw in a nasty creature or two and you find yourself not putting it down lest you let something else distract you!
An incredible read filled with humor, suspense, thrills and bugaboos, sure to have you reading it in one sitting and wanting more.

THE WAYS OF KHREM is definitely an entertaining read. The book contains three interconnected novellas featuring Cargill, the Bookseller and a supporting cast of fascinating characters.

Cargill has left his criminal past behind him, or so he thinks, to become a respected bookseller, until a knock on his door one day turns out to be Captain Wilhem Drayton of the City Watch. It seems that Captain Drayton knows all about Cargill's criminal past, but is willing to overlook it for Cargill's consulting services. Cargill has no choice, of course, and a tenuous partnership is born. Along with Drayton comes two City Watchmen, Heinryk, a veteran of the watch and the younger Poole whose most distinct characteristics are his single dark eyebrow and enough muscles for two men. The author weaves this trio throughout the novellas and I found that with each story, Mr. Hilliard cleverly reveals a little more about each of them and their own secrets.

I have to say though my favorite character is Grabel, Cargill's manservant. Grabel's main duty is to help Cargill "navigate the treacherous terrain of social intercourse" which he does with skill, efficiency and indifferent boredom. The banter back and forth between these two men had me laughing out loud on several occasions - each of them trying their best to torture the other. As Cargill says, Grabel "has the remarkable ability to roll his eyes without actually rolling his eyes." Even though on the surface their relationship seems argumentative and testy, I got the impression that each of them looked out for the other in their own way.

I liked "The Ghost of Candlewalk Lane" the most of the 3 stories, but each story is quite enjoyable. I would definitely recommend that you pick up this book and allow Mr. Hilliard to introduce you to the city of Khrem and all that inhabit it, both above and below ground.

This is an entertaining book full of wit and danger. I was reminded of Terry Pratchett's Discworld with colorful characters and clever storylines. I will definitely be reading more stories. Where's the sequel?

Reading the reviews of this book encouraged me to try the sample. Once I read the sample, I had to buy it! The characters are well described, the city of Khrem is brought to life as well by the author. The "On the edge of your seat" feeling of the situations that the main character, Cargill gets into with the three stories here is what I have missed since the early Thieves World tales. The formatting is good and the typos very few. In fact, my only complaint is that I have finished the book and Mr. Hilliard has not yet released another! Please hurry, Mr. Hilliard, I want to get back to Khrem.

This was a really fun read. Funny bits, scary bits, and possibly also a few points that made me a bit teary. My only complaint is that I want more about Khrem itself, and definitely more about Cargill! Hurry up with a sequel, Mr. Hilliard!

I haven't read many books in the fantasy genre, but this book was like you were discovering a completely plausible new world through the eyes of an old friend. Former thief turned bookseller, Cargill, tries to live a life on the up and up and draw as little attention to himself while he enjoys a comfortable upper middle class life. I found myself rooting for him the more I got to know him, from his memories of being an orphan on the streets of Khrem to his former life as a thief to his current life as a bookseller.

When a Captain of the Watch approaches Cargill for help using the knowledge of his less than legal past as leverage, he has no choice other than join forces with the police to track down a murderer. As the watchmen and Cargill learn that they can completely trust each other, the story really takes off in directions I didn't see coming.

This book is split into three smaller stories, each interconnecting with the same main characters and background, but just enough that you could easily read any of the three shorter parts and they would stand on their own. It was refreshing to find the evil doers in two of the stories weren't human, even though ultimately humans were involved. You get just enough of a taste of the secondary characters to whet your appetite and a full serving of Cargill's life, both what it was like in the past and his current life.

Each chapter has a verse or short piece that reads like it was straight from the history books of Khrem. They gave you a little preview of what was coming up in the chapter. I really enjoyed the little snippets of the past before delving into the chapter.

I definitely would like to read more about the adventures of Cargill. There are just enough questions left about both Cargill, the Captain, and a few other characters that made me believe there are many more capers left to be explored in the world of Khrem. And the city of Khrem itself is very interesting, with the likeness of Victorian Era London or Europe. The author's descriptions of the surroundings gave me a vivid idea of what this city looks like.

I give this book a 5 out of 5. There was the perfect mix of fantasy mystery, suspense, and thriller in these stories set in the past, where you would think things would be simpler but they certainly were not. I was so completely drawn into Cargill's exploits that I even almost missed my train stop twice! The Ways of Khrem is a very satisfying and well written book and I definitely recommend it to anyone who likes fantasies or mysteries.

The Ways of Khrem by D. Nathan Hilliard

My thoughts: Overall - the whole book was amazing! I truly fell in love with Cargill! He is the most interesting character! Of course I love the fact that he has gone from a man with an unsavory profession to being a book seller is so very fun! The growth of Cargill throughout the three parts is fantastic - I enjoyed every page of this book. I would recommend this book to both teens and adults. The book is well written, the characters are wonderful, the language and vocabulary can be tricky at times, but truly makes the story.

The author creates wonderful multifaceted characters. Each of the main people in the book is so much more than they appear to be at the first meeting. I was thrilled by the friendships that were created as a result of the first initial meeting in part one.

The Reach of Talanturos - Part One
In this first part we are introduced to many of the characters that we continue to see throughout the book. The story is about the captain of the guard of Khrem trying to find a killer - he goes to Cargill for help and so the story begins....I don't want to give away the story so I won't say more about the plot. As I have already said, the characters and the character development is fantastic. You can't help but keep turning the pages because of the interactions of the people, even the butler is great. I would have a hard time picking my favorite in this part of the story because I enjoyed them all for different reasons.

The Cistern - Part Two
The story continues in part two with many of the same characters while we meet a number of new people, the new people are only in this one part of the book. This part gives the reader more of the personalty behind both Cargill and his butler - Grabel. In this part Cargill and Grabel go to a neighbor's house for an event and a boy falls into a Cistern. Cargill has to choose to somewhat expose himself and help the family or allow the boy to die to keep his past hidden and his current status intact.

The Ghost of Candlewalk Lane - Part Three
In part three we are still working with the same main characters, but are allowed to know a bit more about them than before. The ghost of Candlewalk Lane is the ghost of someone that Cargill used to know and was a good friend of a girl who he loved. We are introduced to the Cordwood Killer and find out about the victims and their circumstances. We find ourselves watching Captain Drayton and Cargill working together to find a killer again. This story shows us a darker side of Cargill, the side he has worked so hard to get away from. We have the opportunity to learn a bit more about Heinryk and Poole in this last part too - which I enjoyed.

This story the first one I've rated since I've been buying Kindle books. It is a total page turner. The only thing I wish was different is the title. It doesn't to a very good job describing what the book is about.