It’s a somewhat overused cliché readily found in most adventure fiction; as the villainous mastermind’s plans crumble thanks to his minions’ ineptitude, he’ll utter the well-worn phrase, “Why am I surrounded by idiots? In fantasy, this often is enhanced by magical objects and perilous creatures on the way to fulfilling said mission, in other words, quest/fantasy adventure. That business is uniformly foul, running the gamut from retrieving lost relics of magic to infiltrating a human city on a mission of kidnapping and assassination (a mission featuring an escape plan whose reading makes a most effective appetite suppressant; you’ll know it when you get there). While it may have been the most important portion of the Charnel King's domain, however, Dendrakis constituted but the smallest fragment of it. Still, if you want a fantasy that turns the traditional narrative on its head without transforming the monsters into an oppressed minority, or if you just want to root for the bad guys for once, give The Goblin Corps a look.

Gremlins and ogres, trolls and kobolds all made their homes here, in this last refuge from the sprawling mass of "civilization. The Goblin Corps is a sword-and-sorcery fantasy novel written by Ari Marmell, and follows the exploits of a “demon squad” who works for a lich, King Morthûl. Damit machte er sein Hobby zum Beruf, denn Marmell bekam sein erstes Dungeons and Dragons – Set im Alter von 9 Jahren geschenkt und verfasste später häufig selbst Kampagnen. The haunch of meat plummeted to the ground with a sticky plop as Cræosh broke into a distance-eating jog that he and the others could, if necessary, maintain for a day and more.The ancient garments draping his body fell in folds around him, delighted to be free from the confines of the marble corners. With a forced grin at Berrat exposing a number of jagged yellow teeth, Cræosh ripped off a chunk of horseflesh and began to chew noisily, ignoring the sizzling rivulets that ran down his chin. Now, as winter solidifies its icy grip on the passes of the Brimstone Mountains, disturbing news has reached the court of Morthûl. The human cities of Kirol Syrreth surrounded themselves with walls and watchtowers, leftovers from the days when any cloud of dust on the horizon could signal the advance of a goblin army.

After all, who cares for the dull hero when there’s an especially devilish baddie reeking havoc with relentless abandon? No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.It's an entertaining 'Lord of the Rings' version, but from the bad guys' point of view, on what happened after the destruction of the One Ring.

No, the Charnel King still has a few tricks up his putrid and tattered sleeves, and the only thing that can defeat him now… May just be the inhuman soldiers on whom he’s pinned his last hopes. Smooth read with a plot that allowed you to lose yourself in the interactions of folks from the "dark side". The narrator does an exceptional job, the voices bring the characters to life and lets their personality shine through. The bed frame, in equal disrepair and clearly not on speaking terms with the chair, would have long since collapsed if it hadn’t been propped against the wall.Shakespeare did it all the time with characters like Iago from “Othello”, Caliban in “The Tempest” or that main character in “that Scottish play”. As humorous as the premise might be and as funny as the characters are, there is also a gritty and, at times, very tough side to The Goblin Corps. So deeply had Morthûl withdrawn, the mage realized suddenly, that there was a better than even chance he'd not yet heard of Dororam's mobilization! A top-heavy sword, wickedly serrated, hung casually at his side, the leather-wrapped hilt permanently stained by the acrid sweat of his palms. At the same time, The Goblin Corps offers a couple of improvements that makes the book even more rewarding and fun to read than The Conqueror’s Shadow.