A book review by Matthew Bander

“We ain’t thieves and we ain’t killers, we’s just good men been done wrong.” This quote comes right off the back cover in very large red lettering. I always smile at this quote, because of how untrue it is. That’s exactly what the Brothers Grossbart are: thieves, and killers.  Hegel and Manfried Grossbart are easily the worst, most misguided, deranged, and disturbed individuals I have ever read from the perspective of, and it’s hilarious. 

The year is 1364, and Hegal and Manfried Grossbart are grave robbers. In fact they come from a long line of grave robbers. Their most recent acquisition has ran dry, so they set out to the fabled crypts of “Gyptland”, a family legend. To get there, they must fight men and monsters, priests and demons, and desperate merchants and thieves alike. 

This is not your average fairy tale. In fact this isn’t even a tale - it’s an account. An account of villainy, deception, murder, gore, two monstrous siblings and their trek across Europe in search of fabled graves.

Through their dialog, you come to understand them in a crazy kind of way, and instead of viewing these murderers as villains, you come to see them as heroes of the cause.

Author, Jesse Bullington, creates a fantastic, yet similar world in this book with mentions of The Crusades, the papal schism, and the Black Death, mixed with a good deal of fantasy with witches and demons. Its not all gore and violence though, there is also a good bit of theology and debate thrown in. Sure it may be skewed in the Grossbarts own twisted sense of morals and logic. 

A quote from a review on Amazon by Lucas Thorn states:

“There's humor, action sequences which leave you breathless, dark fairytale monsters and secondary characters caught in the Grossbart web to feel sorry for. You'd just got everything you need for an absolute ripper of a book. Page-turner? I ate this like it was my last meal.”