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Frank Dorrian
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Horns of the Hunter: Tales of Luah Fáil Book 1 Kindle Edition

by Frank Dorrian (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.6 out of 5 stars 28 ratings
An age of myth. A bitter feud. A storm of legend.

It is the closing days of the Enkindled King’s wars for Earthblood, when a cycle of violence and hatred sparks a bitter feud in his shadow.

Náith, the Warrior. Luw, the Hunter. Cast aside and burned by their lover’s betrayal, the two find themselves trapped in a bloody struggle for the affections of Síle, the Maid of Mael Tulla.

Cherished as a healer and bringer of verdant life to barren lands, Síle stands as a mystery unto all – even those who would claim her heart. For one so gentle and kind, secrets and bloodshed swarm about her like flies upon a corpse.

Consumed by hatred and heartache, both Náith and Luw will take the darkest of trials and challenge death itself, unaware of the true game being played.

A storm beyond imagining waits for the Warrior and the Hunter. One that will decide the fate of Luah Fáil.
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  1. Book 1 of 1
    Tales of Luah Fáil
  2. Print length
    300 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publication date
    July 27, 2021
  5. File size
    7.1 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B092RB9FNC
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Impaled Monarch Publishing; 1st edition (July 27, 2021)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 27, 2021
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 7.1 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 300 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 out of 5 stars 28 ratings

About the author

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Frank Dorrian

Frank Dorrian

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Born in Liverpool, a city rich in post-industrial and cultural history, Frank found inspiration in his hometown's unique landscape. His creative journey began in his teenage years, driven by a passion for self-expression, and introspection, and slowly evolving into a love of telling dark, grim tales.

Former careers include shop cashier, qualified mental health nurse, and business transformation analyst. Currently, he is a technical analyst in the UK corporate world, working to weave spells through lines of deep SQL code that were written in forgotten ages.

Outside of writing, Frank enjoys reading, computer games, tattoos, and Thai boxing. His dedication to the sport has led him to compete professionally in the UK, and internationally in Thailand.

His first book, The Shadow of the High King, a dark fantasy novel, was released in 2016, followed by two standalone novellas, To Brave the End and Scars of the Sand, in 2017, and a new full length, Horns of the Hunter, in 2021.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
28 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book compelling, with one mentioning it's highly recommended for fans of adult grimdark fantasy. The writing quality receives positive feedback, with one customer noting its vivid descriptions.

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3 customers mention "Readability"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book compelling, with one describing it as epic in every way, and another noting it is highly recommended for fans of adult grimdark fantasy.

"...I absolutely crushed it in a few days. Highly recommended for fans of adult grimdark fantasy! Going to buy the rest of his books now!" Read more

"...some fights and added a little more world building, but still an amazing read. Very highly recommended." Read more

"This is one heck of a compelling book...." Read more

3 customers mention "Writing quality"3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the writing quality of the book, with one noting its vivid descriptions and another describing it as very artfully crafted.

"Wow the writing is so vivid and dark and full of gore (no graphic sex scenes FYI just gory violence)...." Read more

"This is a book about mythical conflict with a beautiful prose that just sucks you in...." Read more

"This is one heck of a compelling book. Very artfully crafted with two main characters that are fascinating--so much so you have no idea who to root..." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Andrew J. Rowan
    5.0 out of 5 stars original gory adult fantasy
    Reviewed in the United States on October 27, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    Wow the writing is so vivid and dark and full of gore (no graphic sex scenes FYI just gory violence). A different take on gods and monsters and a love story that twists and turns. I absolutely crushed it in a few days. Highly recommended for fans of adult grimdark fantasy! Going to buy the rest of his books now!
    One person found this helpful
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  • Paul C
    4.0 out of 5 stars Raw energy to the writing.
    Reviewed in the United States on August 20, 2021
    My Take:

    There’s a raw energy to the writing that struck me as early as 10 pages in… it comes across as vengeance and lust and violence. These characters are far from perfect and they will very quickly need to live with some rash decision making.

    The Love Triangle. Naith, the aggressive Warrior. Luw, the stalking Hunter. Sile, the mystifying healer who may be manipulating them both to her cause… This part of the book developed well and some of its evolution was definitely surprising.

    My criticism lies in the worldbuilding… I felt like I was missing out on much of what the world has to offer by only reading this book. And at times the author focused too much on the relationships between the characters and not on the relationships they have with the world around them.

    A bit of a mixed review here. The characters themselves were drawn so well, yet I felt a disconnect with the world around them.

    4 out of 5 stars/
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  • Felix Ortiz
    5.0 out of 5 stars Epic in every way
    Reviewed in the United States on September 9, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    This is a book about mythical conflict with a beautiful prose that just sucks you in. The characters, though demigods, have very human character flaws that just make you pity or root for them. I would've cut some fights and added a little more world building, but still an amazing read. Very highly recommended.
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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars What a compelling book!
    Reviewed in the United States on July 29, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    This is one heck of a compelling book. Very artfully crafted with two main characters that are fascinating--so much so you have no idea who to root for! So many twist you will not see coming. Highly recommend!!!
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  • The Bookwyrm Speaks
    5.0 out of 5 stars If you like dark fantasy, you need to read this!
    Reviewed in the United States on August 30, 2021
    I was familiar with Frank Dorrian from his Blackshield Dogs novellas, and his The Shadow of a High King novel, which are some dark fantasy masterpieces. This meant I had an idea of what was in store for me with Horns of the Hunter: interesting but flawed characters, lots of fast paced, in your face brutal action, strong world building and a story that races along until it all ends in the clash of steel and spilling of blood. My expectations were met completely, in some of the best ways possible.

    The story takes place in a land of legends, in an ancient time only spoken of in stories, when gods among men roamed the world, accomplishing impossible feats. This land is the island of Luah Fail, which bears a striking resemblance to Ireland. An Ireland that had magic in its very soil. You can definitely see that strong Irish Celtic mythos inspired this world, which is cool choice, since its usually some variation of Norse mythology used as a setting lately. This leads to some interesting situations throughout the book, since the Celts had as grimdark a pantheon as there ever was, and this is reflected in the characters.

    Those characters are just such a strength in the story. Naith, the powerful warrior, and Luw, the horned hunter, are obviously destined to be at each others throats throughout the story, all the way to the bitter end. Their story revolves around Sile, the Maid of Mael Tulla, who brings plants to life around her, and holds both of their hearts. It’s this love triangle that has so much potential for tragedy, and it doesn’t disappoint. You can tell as the story progresses, and Naith and Luw keep trying destroying each others lives, that Sile is not unaware of this, and has something more than just playing with them in her long term plans. This mystery plays out so well as the story works towards its epic conclusion.

    The secondary characters really help round out the story. Aodhamar especially stands out. He is the king who has absorbed more of the Earthblood magic than is wise, and his power makes him ruthless and unworried about his actions, since he is the most powerful being on the island. He’s also greedy for more, so is always looking for the next war, and is completely intolerant of failure. He also seems to know more than he lets on about whats happening between with Sile, as we discover later on. They really help round out the story and its epic clash at the end.

    I am amazed at how much I became invested in these characters. Luw starts off as the more sympathetic character, but as the story progresses, we get to see some of the machinations in the background play out, and realize that things aren’t quite what they seem. It plays out perfectly, and leads to an ending you just couldn’t imagine. I have to list this as one of my favorite reads of the year, and highly recommend reading it yourself.
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  • BookwormBlues
    5.0 out of 5 stars A dark fantasy MUST-READ
    Reviewed in the United States on July 27, 2021
    Horns of the Hunter was a book I knew I wanted to edit the second I saw it. It’s based on Celtic mythology, and written with lyrical prose. The two things put together basically just make this one of those books I’m sure to love. I’m a huge, huge sucker for mythology retold, and beautiful prose is icing on the cake.

    Most of this story is focused on Cu Náith the Warrior and Luw the Hunter. Cu Náith and Luw are the biggest focal points of this story, and they couldn’t be more opposite. Cu Náith is arrogant and swaggering. He knows he’s the best, and he usually is. He has a supernatural affinity for all things that require physical strength, and his ego basically makes up the biggest part of his personality. Luw the Hunter, on the other hand, is much more quiet and reserved. He’s thoughtful, and while he is focused on his end goals, he is motivated largely by preserving the forests, and doing what needs to be done to ensure that end.

    The other main character in this book is Síle. Síle is a romantic interest for both of these men. What starts out as a squabble between two spurned lovers turns into something a bit more serious as Síle starts poking fingers in the conflict between the men. As the book unfolds, it becomes clear that Síle is not who she appears to be, and she is using both of these men for her own ends, and these men seem to be dancing to her tune, and oblivious to her end goals, no matter how obvious they become to the reader. This, in fact, is part of why this book was so compelling. The characters are so absorbed in their own experiences, that what slowly becomes clear to the reader isn’t that clear to the characters themselves, and that draws out emotions from the reader that are just… powerful. I mean, it’s like watching a train wreck. You can’t look away. You know what’s going to happen, at least in a vague way, and you can see it barreling toward the event horizon, but you just cannot stop watching.

    It’s that dynamic, that incredible ability for Dorrian to not only play on his readers emotions that skillfully, but his characters as well that, quite honestly, make him a master of the craft.

    I will say, reader, the genius of this book is how the characters work against each other, and how that forces their development in some unexpected ways.

    In fact, the character development over the course of this novel had me so enchanted, so absolutely absorbed and obsessed, I read this book numerous times before I returned it to the author. I just couldn’t get enough of it. I couldn’t stop looking at how Luw and Cu Náith changed so dramatically over the course of the book, and how, while they often did come to physical blows (and some of the battles were just… I mean, surreal with how well they were written), it was really obsession driven by Síle that was the true weapon here.

    I don’t know if I can underscore this enough. The characters you get to know at the start of the book are not the ones you know at the end of the book, and the journey, that transformation is one of the most engrossing, absorbing, well-crafted character arcs I’ve ever read in all my time reading. It blew my freaking socks off.

    Dorrian made a few worldbuilding decisions in this book that I think ultimately worked in his favor. First, he kept the world contained, relegated to one island, and populated by a fair number of people, though most of them stay offscreen. He doesn’t take a lot of time to explain terminology to readers. You either figure it out as you go, or you don’t. This immersive style of worldbuilding really worked for me. It allowed me to get sucked into the story, and I trusted Dorian to give me the information I needed as the story progressed. Furthermore, the complex, layered magic system was really the cherry on top of this worldbuilding sundae.

    The story of Luw and Cu Náith was truly heartbreaking. These two men are on a crash course to destruction, and both seem incapable of pulling away from it. Because you’ll likely recognize these figures from their mythological influences (if you’re familiar with Celtic lore at all) you’ll probably connect with them right away. Despite all their fantastic, divine aspects, their magic, their more-than-human qualities, they are, in the end, shockingly human and as their arcs begin to unfold, and you see which direction they are both traveling, you realize this really isn’t the story you were expecting. This is a story about obsession and self-destruction. It’s about two men who have these superhuman abilities, coming together in a clash that transforms both them, and their world.

    This book, reader, is a glorious, unforgettable tragedy.

    And oh, I loved it. I loved it so much, it hurt. I loved it so much, I read it about four or five times before I managed to send the edited manuscript back to the author.

    There have been a few times in my editorial life when I’ve felt the need to stand on a mountaintop and pontificate to readers everywhere about this book or that book. I will say, Horns of the Hunter was one of those books that made me want to do just that. I’ve never read anything like this before, and that’s part of its charm. The truth is, what I found here was a story I didn’t expect, told with prose that were just beyond gorgeous. This book is a superb study in character evolution that you won’t get anywhere else.

    Horns of the Hunter is, hands down, one of the best books I’ve read in a very, very long time.

    It’s one of those books that made me think, “I really wish I could read this book for the first time all over again.”

    It’s that good.
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Top reviews from other countries

  • immaree
    4.0 out of 5 stars Badasses and Broken Hearts!
    Reviewed in Australia on July 27, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Horns of the Hunter: Tales of Luah Fáil Book 1 is the story of Luw, a hunter sprite and the great warrior Náith as they clash over the love of the woman Sile. The two men take turns both humiliating and hurting one another in their quest for her affection, causing each other great suffering. Sick of their squabbling Sile sets them both a seemingly impossible task. One both men are so obsessed with accomplishing they refuse to heed the warnings of great kings, legendary blacksmiths and even death itself.

    Having read the authors prior work, The Shadow of the High King as well as both novellas in the Tales of the Black Shield Dogs. I was quite eager to read this story, which takes place in the same world as the previously mentioned books. What the likes of Hercules and Achilles was to King Leonidas, characters such as Luw and Naith are to characters like Harlin and Red Harry, (important characters in the author’s prior stories.) This tale takes place countless centuries before his other works, in an age where gods freely walked the earth.

    Having read several interviews the author gave prior to the release of this novel I was expecting this work to be straight High Fantasy, as opposed to the brutal fantasy Frank Dorrian normally writes. While this tale certainly has all the best elements of High Fantasy, i.e epic quests for legendary weapons and so forth. The brilliant bleakness and brutality that the author expertly captured in his other works, can also be found here.

    What I liked most about this story is just how genuine it feels to the world he has already created, I could easily imagine the great warrior Naith, being a member of the Black Shield Dogs, (a mercenary band). Another strength to this story is it really helped me to see why the mortal characters in his other novels have such attitudes towards the world they live in, because the gods of their world possess the same flaws and desires, especially when it comes to ideas of vengeance, which is an important theme in the author’s other works.

    With that said this tale can be enjoyed as a standalone story of epic proportions, like a story of Odin or Thor, (perhaps just with a bit more cursing and blood). I enjoyed it so much I finished it in a single sitting. So whether this is your first time reading a Frank Dorrian book or are already familiar with his world, I definitely recommend it!
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  • Alan
    5.0 out of 5 stars Grimly Fantastic.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 7, 2022
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    Holy moly that was absolutely fantastic, Grim, bloody and frigging outrageous. Hats off to you Frank Dorrian, everything I've read that you have released so far continues to just blow my mind. Awesome worldbuilding, plot and setting and the prose, oh they are so good. In this celtic inspired fantasy gem, we follow Náith the Warrior and Luw the Horned Hunter both legends of their domains with their super god like strengths. Náith is the undefeated warrior of Luah Fail and his arrogance holds no bounds, Luw is keeper of the Forests and a famed hunter. When these two legends fall love drunk with a Goddess like woman Síle. Reeled in by her beautiful singing voice, used and manipulated against each other. There can be only one outcome, a fight to the death. If you love your fantasy grimdark, giant clashing battles, gore goodness and just some good oul storytelling at its finest, then check out Horns Of The Hunter. I promise you won't regret it, highly recommended. Damn I really hope there is a follow up....😁💥🔥🖤☠️🗡
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  • Damien Larkin
    5.0 out of 5 stars An epic Celtic Fantasy!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 27, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Horns of the Hunter is a fascinating novel influenced by Celtic lore. I couldn't put it down!

    The story follows Náith, a fearless warrior and champion and Luw a hunter and protector of the forest. Both characters utterly despise each other, and their worlds collide when they discover each is the lover of Sile, a beautiful and seductive healer. Determined to win her heart, both engage in an epic quest while their feud becomes so bloody it threatens the stability of their native land.

    The characters in this story are vivid and lifelike. I found myself hooked into the events as they unfolded, rooting for some characters while praying for the downfall of others. Events move at a nice, steady pace, building to the inevitable climax at the end. The world Mr. Dorrian has created is rich and full of detail, easily immersing the reader into the scene.

    A day after finishing this book and I'm still stunned by this incredible book and its ending. This is the true mark of a talented writer; being able to craft a world and characters that leaves the reader begging for more.

    I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading more of Mr. Dorrian's work in the future.
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  • CyloPub
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Strong Effort
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 28, 2022
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    Horns of the Hunter is a superb read packed with plenty of grit and rivalry between the characters, set in a world reminiscent of old Celtic mythology. A particular highlight is the intensity of the battle scenes; the narration crackles when weapons are crossed.
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  • TClews
    5.0 out of 5 stars A truly magical tale that I could not put down.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 28, 2021
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    A fantasticly poignant, dark and harrowing tale of love, loss, betrayal and tragedy wrapped up in beautiful pose and horrific violence.
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