Annals of the Nameless Dwarf Books in Order
Part ofDerek Prior Books in OrderSee the Annals of the Nameless Dwarf books in order, with summaries, series background, and clear guidance on where to begin with Derek Prior.
Last updated: July 15, 2026
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Annals of the Nameless Dwarf books in publication order
11 books
Thanatos Rising
by Derek Prior
2010
Postgraduate Harry Chesterton follows a trail of dark science to an old monastery above Aberystwyth. Bodies, strange wounds, and a missing chaplain draw him into a frightening investigation of death, consciousness, and the world of Thanatos.
Mountain of Madness
by Derek Prior
2012
Awakened after a year of unnatural sleep, the Nameless Dwarf must face memories of the massacre that made him an outcast. A philosopher gathers desperate allies against a mad sorcerer's rising threat, and redemption may cost the world.
Ravine of Blood and Shadow / Carnifex: A Portent of Blood
by Derek Prior
2012
Ravine Guard Carnac Thayn investigates a murder and a stolen book while something ancient stirs beneath his dwarven city. Rumors of a lost axe and unseen manipulation force him to make a choice that could save or damn his people.
Curse of the Black Axe
by Derek Prior
2016
The Nameless Dwarf needs three legendary artifacts to destroy the Black Axe and escape its curse. His uneasy allies include Shadrak the Unseen, an assassin bound by contract to kill him before the quest can succeed.
Fate of the Dwarf Lords
by Derek Prior
2019
Seven quiet years end when news arrives that Arnoch has fallen beneath the waves during a dragon attack. To save his people, the Nameless Dwarf must find the long-exiled dwarf lords on the death world of Thanatos and persuade them to return.
Land of Nightmare
by Derek Prior
2019
Seeking to save the dwarves who survived his massacre, the Nameless Dwarf enters the nightmare realm of Cerreth. With Nils, a shapeshifter, and a compromised sorcerer beside him, he faces monsters, divided loyalties, and an ancient evil beneath the sea.
Skull of the Lich Lord
by Derek Prior
2019
The Nameless Dwarf is condemned by the survivors of Arx Gravis, leaving Nils and Silas to attempt a rescue. As ravenous beasts threaten the last dwarves, Silas is haunted by the Lich Lord's grimoire and a crimson-eyed skull.
Last of the Exalted
by Derek Prior
2020
As a bloodthirsty horde drives refugees south, Jeridium faces siege from another invading force. Skald Nyra Sahtis, Sister Caelin, and Shadrak the Unseen are drawn into a desperate search for a grieving warrior and his mythical axe.
Dead Dwarves Don't Die
by Derek Prior
2021
After dying in the dwarven civil war, the Nameless Dwarf expects a proper afterlife. Instead, he finds unfinished penance and an evil spreading through the Supernal Realm, threatening to turn the world beyond death into another Abyss.
Tomb of the Witch Queen
by Derek Prior
2022
Lowborn dwarf Snuv Scavage is sent to kill a pregnant skald whose unborn child is feared. As old enemies, forbidden magic, and a returning Witch Queen threaten the realm, Snuv meets a dwarf who knows far too much about her.
The Hunter: Takes a Demon to Catch a Demon
by Derek Prior
2023
A dangerous hunt leads into a world where demons are not always the clearest villains. To catch a creature built for deception, a hunter must rely on knowledge and alliances that could be every bit as dangerous as the prey.
Annals of the Nameless Dwarf books in chronological order

Ravine of Blood and Shadow / Carnifex: A Portent of Blood
by Derek Prior
2012Annals of the Nameless Dwarf, Book 1
Thanatos Rising
by Derek Prior
2010Memoirs of Harry Chesterton, Book 1
Curse of the Black Axe
by Derek Prior
2016Annals of the Nameless Dwarf, Book 3
Land of Nightmare
by Derek Prior
2019Annals of the Nameless Dwarf, Book 4
Skull of the Lich Lord
by Derek Prior
2019Annals of the Nameless Dwarf, Book 5
Fate of the Dwarf Lords
by Derek Prior
2019Annals of the Nameless Dwarf, Book 6
Last of the Exalted
by Derek Prior
2020Annals of the Nameless Dwarf, Book 7
Dead Dwarves Don't Die
by Derek Prior
2021Annals of the Nameless Dwarf, Book 8
Tomb of the Witch Queen
by Derek Prior
2022Annals of the Nameless Dwarf, Book 9
The Hunter: Takes a Demon to Catch a Demon
by Derek Prior
2023Annals of the Nameless Dwarf, Book 10
Series background & context
The Annals of the Nameless Dwarf is a long, dark fantasy saga set in a world of dwarven cities, old gods, undead rulers, cursed weapons, and far-off nightmare lands. It begins with the history behind the central figure, the Nameless Dwarf, then follows the consequences of a catastrophe that has marked him and his people forever.
At the heart of the series is a question that never gets easy: what does redemption look like after an act too terrible to forget? The Nameless Dwarf is tied to the Black Axe, a weapon that drove him to slaughter his own people. He survives, but survival is not the same as forgiveness. Across the books, he faces those left behind, tries to protect dwarves who have every reason to fear him, and keeps finding that the past has a way of picking up a weapon of its own.
The first novels, beginning with Ravine of Blood and Shadow, build the history of Arx Gravis and the dwarves before moving into the Nameless Dwarf's difficult journey. Mountain of Madness and Curse of the Black Axe widen the story through the philosopher Aristodeus, the assassin Shadrak the Unseen, and other uneasy companions. Nobody joins the party simply because they are nice. Most bring their own loyalties, secrets, and plans.
It is a redemption story with plenty of axes.
The setting matters as much as the plot. Ravine cities, mountain fortresses, monster-haunted forests, the nightmare realm of Cerreth, and the lands of the dead all shape the choices the characters have to make. The series shifts from tense quests and escapes to sieges, civil war, and threats that reach beyond the mortal world. Yet it stays grounded in the bonds between a damaged dwarf, a thief, an assassin, sorcerers, soldiers, and people who are not always sure they can trust one another.
Later entries such as Fate of the Dwarf Lords, Last of the Exalted, Dead Dwarves Don't Die, and Tomb of the Witch Queen broaden the cast and stakes. The story makes room for new heroes, especially characters who inherit problems created generations earlier. The old wars are never truly over, and ancient powers keep looking for a way back into the world.
Expect tough choices, grim humor, fast-moving action, and a strong thread of hope beneath the violence. Reading in order is the best approach, since alliances, history, and the Nameless Dwarf's long attempt to become more than the Ravine Butcher build from one book to the next.
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