Title: The Gryphonpike Chronicles: The Complete Series
Publisher: Doomed Muse
Author: Annie Bellet
Pages: 290pp

Killer is an exile. For her crime, the Elemental Elf — one of the primal beings who can shape creation with speech and song — she is consigned to the mortal realm. There she must perform one thousand heroic acts as penance before she will be re-admitted to the world-between-worlds that the Elemental Elves call home. After decades of loneliness, with only an overgrown mist-lynx for companionship, she finds herself adopted by a wandering party of ragtag adventurers: Drake the human swordsman; Makha the human paladin and her half-orc husband, the shaman Azyrin; and Rahiel, a mage of mixed pixie and goblin descent who wears sparkly dresses and rides around on a miniature unicorn named Bill. Together, they travel the mortal realm, slaying monsters, rescuing the innocent, punishing the wicked and — maybe — earning a bit of coin in the process. And, just maybe, Killer will pay off the blood debt she owes and earn her way home … assuming she even wants to return to the world-between-worlds when the time comes ….

I first discovered Bellet’s work many years ago when Witch Hunt, the first volume in the Gryphonpike Chronicles, was included in a freebie bundle of fantasy novels. I loved it and immediately hunted down the remaining books in the series. Only recently, however, did I discover that Bellet had released a physical omnibus edition of the entire run. I decided that this was just the sort of book I wanted on my shelf, alongside my other favorites.

Bellet is definitely a geek. She lovingly includes every imaginable fantasy and D&D trope in the Gryphonpike Chronicles, then happily turns them sideways or all the way around. Drake comes across as a laissez faire ladies’ man, but he has a heart of gold and will never run from a fight in defense of innocents. Makha is large for a human woman; but her size and strength are exactly what are often needed to save the day. Azyrin is a loyal and devout shaman, sworn in service to the Orcish God of Storms; like Drake, he will never run when innocent lives are at stake. Rahiel is barely knee-high on Killer, green-skinned, and loves sparkly princess dresses; most would dismiss her due to her size and parentage, but she is fierce in a fight and highly skilled in magic. Even Rahiel’s miniature unicorn, Bill, like the rest of the party, is more than he appears.

I love the world that Bellet has created. Species mix freely and (usually) without rancor. The Deities are largely benevolent (such as the Summer Lady and Thunla the Unicorn Goddess), but there are still malevolent powers eager to hurt and hunt and slay: necromancers and demons from sideways dimensions and hungry witches and Death Knights of a long-dead empire. In other words, plenty of opportunity for our heroes to be heroic, and for Killer to get one step closer to home.

The Gryphonpike Chronicles is the perfect escape for fans of D&D and heroic fantasy. Highly recommended to fans of Bellet’s other work, as well as The Shifter of Sheridan Avenue by Kenley Davidson, The Trials of Abyowith by Erik Buchanan, Chai and Cat-Tales by Lynn Strong, Mouse’s Folly by T. Thorn Coyle, A Rival Most Vial by RK Ashwick, and the Tales of Inthya series by Effie Calvin.