The Fifth Ward: Good Company

By: Dale Lucas

Narrated by: Simon Vance

The third book in a rollicking fantasy series where the grit of grimdark meets a police procedural, and it's up to two watchmen to protect the streets of one of fantasy's most dangerous cities.
Yenara is a sprawling, dirty city. Filled to bursting with heroes questing, mages testing out spells, thieves around every corner, elves judging everyone, dwarves hating everyone, orcs fighting everyone, and humans being typical humans. Enter Rem and Torval: one a human, the other a dwarf, and both working as Watchwardens.
Now, they must escort a notorious thief through a dangerous forest to the nearby city from where the thief escaped. But the thief's companions are waiting, and the soldiers Rem and Torval travel with might not be so honorable.
For more from Dale Lucas, check out:
The Fifth WardFirst WatchFriendly FireGood Company

Critic reviews

"A brilliant premise, wonderfully told. A city that breathes, and heroes you can't help but root for."—p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Calibri; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000}span.s1 {font-kerning: none}Nicholas Eames, author of Kings of the Wyld, on The Fifth Ward: First Watch

"A glorious tour through fantasy's seamier side, complete with irreverent dwarves and rabble-rousing orcs, mages, and humans. A wilder ride than Middle Earth, and you'll love every minute of it!"—p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Calibri; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000}span.s1 {font-kerning: none}Jon Hollins, author of the Dragon Lords series, on The Fifth Ward: First Watch

"Great fun ... [First Watch] injects new life into a well-established formula ... [a] thoroughly splendid debut."—The Eloquent Page on The Fifth Ward: First Watch

"Fans of diverse cityscapes, mismatched buddy cops, and high adventure will relish this fantasy series launch."—Library Journal on The Fifth Ward: First Watch

"Dale Lucas tells a rambunctious tale that sends the two watchmen into the worst parts of Yanara, fighting orcs and dealing with elves. The case is far bigger than either expected and leads to villainy that is actually illegal in the city. I can't wait for the next case."—University City Review on The Fifth Ward: First Watch

"A well-written adventure."—Cannonball Read on The Fifth Ward: First Watch

"I could have read this story for eternity, the characters and world building are that good ... every scene is brought to life with blazing imagery that is tied to constant movement. The characterization is superb and continues to surprise as events unfold."—Koeur's Book Reviews on The Fifth Ward: First Watch

"[An] entertaining story.... A real page-turner."—RT Book Reviews on The Fifth Ward: First Watch

"First Watch is brilliantly written. Action, intrigue, and humor... Genuinely, CSI: LOTR."—Reality's a Bore on The Fifth Ward: First Watch

Double, triple, quadruple crosses, oh, my!

After a lackluster book 2 that was too heavy on speciesism and too light on action, this installment delivers the promised rollicking adventure. The police procedural, buddy cop format is abandoned for a seemingly straightforward fantasy as Rem and Torval hire on with a crew to transport a captured crook through a dangerous forest to face justice.

But, nothing is ever straightforward for this duo. There’s plenty of action and machinations as loose alliances form and crumble. There’s also cannibals, cutthroats, and secret identities. Sure, some of the setups were heavy handed. Of course, some of the twists were obvious. Even so, the twists, predicted and unpredicted, were entertaining.

I appreciate the lack of sex, torture, and gory violence so prevalent in fantasies these days. I’d still like more humor. I’d also appreciate an expansion to an interesting crew. But, Rem and Torval are a pair to root for and this book delivered a few excellent supporting characters who, perhaps, might reappear in future books.

enjoy listen

I enjoy this series, but this book felt like it was more a few chapters from a bigger story stretched out. it's still an enjoyable listen if you enjoyed the other two books. the narration remains top notch.

A great story outside the city walls

This book continues the story of Rem and Torval as they do their best to patrol the Fifth Ward. Unlike the first two books however, Good Company takes you outside the city walls and gives you a look at the rest of the world. Admittedly most of this takes place in a forest but it is still a good world building opportunity. Dale Lucas does a great job keeping you engaged with the story, the characters are very well written and complex in their own ways. Simon Vance, of course, does another great job narrating and giving the story an extra dimension to enjoy.

Love this series!

This series is just fantastic. It’s like a cop drama set in a fantasy world and it does an amazing job. There’s always character development, the plot always moves along at a speed I like, and the dialog between the characters feels natural. I actually get a little sad when I finish a book because I want the next one to be out already…but then I relisten to it a couple times. Also, the combination of the good writing and I amazing narrator really make this series come to life.

Delightful

I've thoroughly enjoyed all of the books in this series, and cannot wait for the next book. Well done!