Honor's Price - A quick review

FreeDwarf
6 days ago
3 min read

An Epic Tale of Honour and Action

Mike Rossi has crafted a brilliant and fantastic fantasy novel with "Honor's Price." The book follows the Free Dwarves, a people dispossessed of their home, on a perilous quest to reclaim their ancestral lands. The protagonist, Dinnidek, is a compelling leader, but the real strength is in the entire clan. The dynamic—the loyalty, the bickering, the shared sense of purpose—feels real and grounds the story.

What truly sets this book apart is its action. Mike Rossi's descriptions of combat are amazing. The scenes are vivid, tactical, and heart-pounding; you can feel the desperation and strategy in every fight, making the stakes feel incredibly real.

This is a perfect read for fans of the Kings of War universe, anyone who loves dwarven lore, or just a really well-told story about underdogs fighting for what's right. It's a gripping tale of survival, honor, and the high price of freedom, and I was cheering for Dinnidek and his clan all the way through!

Oh, and it has an Ogre with an Orange bandana in it 😂

Also this Book made me go back and read Ben Stoddard's Book "Pride of a King" to get more of an idea of some of the politics behind the Dwarfen Empires struggles, in preperation for the upcoming Narrative burst I am expecting from the new 4th edition of Kings of War as promised by Ronnie and Matt at the Mantic Open Day !

I looked into more of the things Mantic have officially said about 4th Edition and its shift in focus to be more Narrative and have summarised these below

Here are the key ways Mantic is integrating narrative play into the future of the game:

1. A Series of Narrative Expansion Books

The core of the new narrative focus will be a series of hardback expansion books.

Evolving Saga: These books will chronicle a "sweeping narrative journey" that unfolds over several years.
First Chapter: The very first expansion, launching alongside 4th Edition, is titled "Invasion." This book will kick off the new global story arc, centered around the invasion of a brand-new faction, the Xirkaali.
Book Content: Each book will be "narrative-rich," containing new lore, artwork, faction refreshes, updated army lists, and new units, all directly tied to the unfolding story.

2. Global Campaigns Will Shape the Story

Mantic has officially stated that player results from future global campaigns will have a direct impact on the story. In their words: "Your games will once again help steer the fate of Pannithor!" This means the narrative won't just be something you read; it will be something the community actively influences.

3. A Unified Story Across Pannithor

The new narrative arc is designed to be all-encompassing, tying together story threads that have been seeded for years across Mantic's entire fantasy range, including:

Kings of War (mass battle)
Vanguard (skirmish)
Armada (naval)
Tales of Pannithor (the official novels, like Honor's Price)

This creates a single, cohesive, and living world where events in one game or story can have consequences in another.

4. New Factions Driven by Lore

The new Xirkaali faction isn't just a new army; they are the primary antagonists of the first narrative expansion, "Invasion." This shows a design philosophy where new releases are intrinsically linked to and help drive the main storyline.

5. Lore and World-Building at the Forefront

The 4th Edition Core Rulebook itself will feature updated lore, faction histories, and timelines to establish the new "state of play" for the world. Mantic is also planning a comprehensive online "Lore Library" to consolidate the deep history of Pannithor for all players.