Book Review - "Heldenhammer" by Graham McNeill

Another book in the "Time of Legends" series, this one being the first of the Sigmar trilogy. More Black Library reviews to follow - including "Bloodborn" by Nathan Long, the first in a series of books centered on Ulrika from the Gotrek and Felix novels.  

"Heldenhammer" by Graham McNeill

Sigmar. A name used sacredly in the Empire and throughout the old word. Bards and peasants alike spin heroic tales of his legendary rise to near god-like status, while temples and congregations worship his likeness and pray to his mercy for guidance and forgiveness. But well before all of this the legend of Sigmar began like most others... with a man.

Heldenhammer begins with a young Sigmar, then prince and son of King Bjorn of the Unberogen tribe, on a quest to prove his worth as a man. Sigmar is the living model of virtue and heroism and it is quickly apparent that his story is a stark contrast from the darkness and lower moral standards of most tales set in the old world. He envisions a future for all the tribes of man, one that has them working united to carve a peaceful existence out of the dangerous land within which they live. 

McNeill does a good job of portraying Sigmar as he ages throughout this first story. We see Sigmar as a young man with his friends, as a grieving son and sudden king, an envoy to the tribes of men, warrior and berserker, leader, and hero. The story is a mix of high and low fantasy - readily borrowing classic elements from writers such as Tolkien and R.E. Howard.

The battles scattered throughout the book are taught and action-filled affairs, from small skirmishes to full scale epic warfare, and you get a good sense of Sigmar as a leader, tactician, and warrior. High praise for a fantasy book right? Well, unfortunately the one battle that is less than stellar is the final one portrayed in the book - the battle of Black Fire Pass. This battle is "historic" and often referenced in the "modern history" of the old world but we're left with what feels like a rushed attempt at finishing the story "in a good place" for the next book in the series to begin.

While the story does falter in some areas the overall character development is quite interesting, especially in the first half of the book. I would gladly recommend this first novel to anyone with a fleeting interest in the WHFB old world, it's "history", or action filled fantasy stories in general. It may not be the most original tale but it is certainly an entertaining one.

Verdict: 8 out of 10. An action filled read that introduces readers to Sigmar - the man and the legend.

Book Review - "Nagash the Unbroken" by Mike Lee.

Holy cow! It has been way too long since I last reviewed a WHFB related book on the blog. Today's review is the next in a series from the Black Library - this one being the second book in the  Nagash "Time of Legends" books. Look for more book reviews here soon! 

"Nagash the Unbroken" by Mike Lee

The second in a series of three book, "Nagash the Unbroken" begins shortly after Nagash was soundly defeated by the combined forces of Nehekhara in "Nagash the Sorcerer". Stripped of his terrifying power, and desperately seeking refuge from the burning rays of the sun, Nagash encounters a pack of hunting rat-creatures who carry a small magical stone. After ingesting the stone (and some of the rat-creatures) Nagash is once filled with a burning torrent of magical energy. Following the trail of the (now deceased) rat-creatures and the scent of the magical stone, Nagash soon finds himself in the hills and mountains of Cripple Peak where the rest of this tale unfolds.

Just as "Nagash the Sorcerer" made great leaps forward and backward in time, so too does "Nagash the Unbroken". Sometimes jumping around as much as 50 years! A majority of the book is spent focused on Queen Neferata, Arkhan the Black, and Lamashizzar, Priest King of Lahmia, who seeks the secrets of immortality hidden away in the books of Nagash he has removed from the Black Pyramid. While this secondary plot it intriguing I often wished the story would jump back to Nagash so I knew what he was up to. While there is less narrative jumping back and forth here overall, it can still be confusing and seems somewhat unnecessary.

While the nobles torture Arkhan and search for new magical venues of immortality, Nagash retreats deep within the mountains where he slowly rebuilds his strength, finds new undead allies (in the ancient tombs and barrows of the barbarians who live there) and re-encounters the cowardly Skaven. While Skaven play a big role on the book cover and even in the text on the back of the book, their overall part in the story is quite brief and mostly revolves around Nagash's hunger for his new addiction to warpstone, which gives him far more power than ever before.

Overall I found this book to be more of the same - an enjoyable look into Nagash's past and an interesting view into the "old world" of Warhammer's "history". While less confusing, repetitive, and boring than the first book the story does seem to meander a bit before ending abruptly on a "cliffhanger" to set up the next book in the series. If you enjoyed the first book or have any interest in Warhammer lore, warpstone fueled necromancy, or the undead you will likely find a thing or two to like here.

Verdict: 7.5 out of 10. A fun, fast, and entertaining read that avoids some of the missteps of the first book while keeping many things the same.

Book Review - "Nagash the Sorcerer" by Mike Lee.

Books! To review! This time around we have a Black Library release from 2009 from the "Time of Legends" series. Next up will be a review of the first book of  the Sigmar trilogy "Heldenhammer" by Graham McNeil.

"Nagash the Sorcerer" by Mike Lee

"Nagash the Sorcerer" is the first in the Time of Legends: Nagash trilogy. The story begins in  the ancient empire of Nehekhara just moments before a series of extraordinary events leads to the death of Nagash's father (the current king) and mother. It isn't long before the cunning youth Nagash begins to form a plan to seize control of his father's kingdom from his brother - beginning a series of events that will change "the blessed land" and the face of the Old World forever.

The tale unfolds through the eyes of several characters and jumps back in forth through time in a way that can be unsettling and confusing to the reader. The initial origin of Nagash is continually interrupted by a "present day" setting where Nagash (known as the Usurper) has begun a war against the people of the Nehekharan empire in advance of his siege of the holy city Mahrak. This strange narration becomes less prevalent later in the book when the focus is placed more squarely on the "current events" as Nagash's army rampages across the desert sands. 

In addition to the narrative jumping about the pacing of the story tends to advance in fits and spurts - often spending pages describing mundane events and dialogue or focusing on the less interesting battles being waged in the name of Nagash's blood campaign. Time spent detailing the pantheon of gods (which is incredibly similar to Egyptian mythology) is interesting but seems to be a large departure from more "established" Warhammer lore. Perhaps this new focus is what future tales of the Tomb Kings and Nagash will build upon in the future?

The most enjoyable parts of this book for me were the more in-depth looks at Nagash's past - his magical training, the beginning of vampirism in the Old World, the construction of the Black Pyramid, and other similar major events from Warhammer "history". These moments make reading through the incredibly repetitive descriptions of armor (apparently everything was "hammered" for the warriors of the blessed land) more bearable and lend a much needed excitement to this workman-like tale.

While it is at times confusing, repetitive, or just downright boring there are some great moments scattered throughout the book for those who are interested in the history of the Old World. Nagash is a great villain and I look forward to seeing how he grows into his truly "evil" nature in the next two books of the series. If you like Warhammer lore, vampires, twisted sorcery, or undead things you will find a thing or two to like in this book. 

Verdict: 7.5 out of 10. Without the interesting lore/back story I think this book would be more like a 5.

Black Library announce new Warhammer Fantasy series - Warhammer Heroes.

I suppose this may be old news to those paying attention (or anyone who isn't me), but I just read about the new Warhammer Fantasy book series starting this year from Black Library. This new series is called "Warhammer Heroes" and the books in this series will feature stories written about some of WHFB's special characters. From the BL blog:

"The Warhammer World has the most incredible, rich history, full of wonderful heroes, villains and epic events. What better than to devote a whole series of books to characters we already know and love? But how will this series differ from Time of Legends, I hear you ask? Well, while Time of Legends deals with people and events that formed the Warhammer World, this new series focuses on contemporary heroes, characters who still stride the battlefields today, in our imagination, and as models on the tabletop."

"When we read Chris Wraight’s story Premonition, one of our short story competition winners way back in 2007, we knew we had found a very special talent. He has an intrinsic, sensitive understanding of the Warhammer background, he’s great at characterisation, and always comes up with good plots. Chris’s name was on our shortlist for authors to write for the Warhammer Heroes series, and when he sent us in his proposal – a set of stories about Ludwig Schwarzhelm, the Emperor’s Champion – we loved it. In fact, we thought it was so good that we decided it was perfect to launch the series with."

"The Empire army is the core of what Warhammer is about; knights are the core of the army; and special characters such as Ludwig epitomise the knightly ideal. Sword of Justice takes that special character and turns him into a living, breathing person, full of fire and glory; a dangerous man, a man who will never give up, who will never fail to discharge his duty to the Emperor and the Empire."

"The story of Ludwig, and his arch rival Kurt Helborg, will continue at a later point in Sword of Vengeance. The subject of the second novel in the Warhammer Heroes series could not be more different – Black Library stalwart C L Werner is penning the tale of Wulfrik the Wanderer, the exiled Chaos warrior."

Most exciting! While the first books sounds like it will be an enjoyable read I am far more excited to read a tale about one of my favorite Warriors of Chaos special characters Wulfrik the Wanderer. I also really like the new book design for this series:

Book Review - "Curse of the Necrarch" by Steven Saville.

More books to review - this time around we have a Black Library release from 2008. Next up will be a review of the first in the Nagash trilogy "Nagash the Sorcerer" by Mike Lee.

"Curse of the Necrarch" by Steven Saville

"Curse of the Necrarch" is a vampire counts related one-shot novel set in the Warhammer Fantasy old world. Where as the "Vampire Wars" series focused more on the major vampire counts bloodlines, this book tells the tale of two lost souls and their quest for redemption (of a sort).

The book begins with a last stand outside the walls of Kastell Metz as the heroic Felix Metzger readies himself and his loyal knights for one last epic battle against the hordes of undead which have ravaged the nearby countryside. As you might imagine things do not go well for Felix leaving the forces of evil triumphant and in control of Kastell Metz.

Flash forward 500 years - the dead once again rise from their graves to feast on the flesh of the living. The necromantic force behind this threat, known only as Radu the Forsaken, has made it's home in the highest towers in what remains of Kastell Metz. Aided by his two apprentice thralls known as Casimir and Amsel, Radu seeks a lost artifact of great power. An item thought to have once belonged to the great and powerful sorcerer Nagash!

Meanwhile in the town of Grimminhagen, Reinhardt Metzger is on the verge of retiring from his position as Knight Protector. But the years of potential peace awaiting Metzger are thrown aside when communications from the outlying villages and neighboring towns cease. Soon Metzger, and his long time friend Kaspar Bohmen, set out to discover the cause of the disturbance. They soon learn that the dead once again walk the land and narrowly avoid their own death to bring this message back to the town of Grimminhagen in preparation for the coming invasion.

The story is easy to follow, and Steven does a good job of keeping things moving at a brisk pace, focusing on the important details without accounting for every small description. The inherent treachery of the vampire thralls makes for an interesting dynamic within the forces of the undead, while Metzger's pride and "I am too old for this" attitude rarely overstay their welcome. If you are looking for a good fantasy action novel you could do far worse than this book. I would recommend this to anyone who has an interest in rotting undead Vampires, or the Vampire Counts of the WHFB old world.

Verdict: 7 out of 10.

Book Review - "Shamanslayer" by Nathan Long.

A recent release from the Black Library and another book review for the site. Just finished "Curse of the Necrach" so expect another book review soon! Hope you enjoy reading these - I rarely get comments on the reviews.

"Shamanslayer" by Nathan Long

Warning: This review may contain spoilers! It can be really difficult to discuss any Gotrek and Felix book without giving away some part of the overall plot. If this is a concern for you I suggest skipping this review entirely!

Also: I have to assume you know something about Gotrek and Felix as a WHFB enthusiast. If not, here is the short version - Gotrek is a Dwarf Slayer hellbent on destroying himself while killing something mighty and finding his doom. Felix is an author who made a vow (drunkenly) to follow Gotrek and write an epic poem about his life and subsequent death.

Shamanslayer is the eleventh book in this series. As you might imagine there is quite a bit of back story going into this novel. Starting here is certainly an option, but you will have no association with events from the past that are brought up over the course of this story. I do not recommend starting the series here!

The book starts with Felix returning to the Empire to find his father. Life quickly takes a turn for the worse as Felix learns his father is dead - murdered at the hands (paws?) of Skaven assassins. Felix vows he will find the one responsible and extract a bloody revenge but his new quest is put on hold by a surprise visit from one Sir Teobalt von Dreschler - templar and librarian of the Order of the Fiery Heart. This is the first example of events from the previous novels being referenced. In this case it relates to a certain sword Felix has had for the past 20 odd years.

To keep things simple (and relatively spoiler free), Sir Teobalt wishes for Felix to undertake a quest to find his missing comrades and retrieve the order's regalia. Sounds easy enough for two heroic adventurers of the Empire right? One small problem... the woods near where the Order were last seen are swarming with Beastmen - a massive herd unlike anything seen before in the old world.

So Gotrek and Felix set off to kill Beastmen, find the source of the massive beast herd, slay it, locate the missing knights and their regalia, and possibly die a glorious death in the process. Along the way they are joined by some old friends (from previous novels) and new enemies.

I won't give away any more of the story but I will warn you of the massive cliffhanger ending this book ends with. While the series has always been continuous, each book has been a self-contained adventure with a clear beginning and end. Not so with this latest novel. Just when you get to the end of the story you find it is just the beginning of another bad situation for the two heroes.

Cliffhanger aside I enjoyed reading this book. Long does a good job of adding new dynamics to the complex relationship between Gotrek and Felix, including a few situations I found to be a bit shocking and sad for me as a fan of the series. While this is certainly no William King version of the heroes, Nathan Long is slowly making the series his own. If Gotrek keeps swilling beer, hacking up his foes, and getting grudgy, I will stick with the series for the long haul (as long as there aren't any more of these damn cliffhangers).

Overall this was an enjoyable read, I just hope future books don't leave our heroes on the last page staring death in the face.

Verdict: 7.5 out of 10.

Book Review - "Grey Seer" by C.L. Werner.

A recent release from the Black Library and another book review for the site. Finishing up the new Gotrek and Felix book "Shamanslayer" right now and should have a review of that coming sometime in the next few weeks.

"Grey Seer" by C.L. Werner

Fans of Gotrek and Felix are probably already familiar with Grey Seer Thanquol. Reading that series is not required to enjoy "Grey Seer" but I did enjoy reading Thanquol's recollections of his past failures (blamed mostly on the "Demonic Dwarf" and his "Man-servant"). As a stand alone novel (or the first in a new series?) "Grey Seer" delivers a classic fantasy story full of ratmen, smugglers, monsters, sewers, bizarre magic, and raucous battles.

The story begins with Thanquol being summoned to the Council Of Thirteen - the dread rulers of Skavenblight. After managing to not being burnt to a greasy smear by the horrific Skaven of the Council, Thanquol is sent on an important (and dangerous) mission - to find and recover a mighty Skaven weapon known only as the Wormstone (which has been lost for several hundred years).

Thanquol's quest sends him deep into the treacherous realm of Under-Altdorf (the Skaven realm that lies directly below the Empire city of Altdorf) where the Skaven rulers are a little too happy with their current situation and not excited to see the Grey Seer and his entourage of albino Stormvermin. Conversely, Thanquol is disgusted by Under-Altdorf's dependence on the humans and sees their reliance on the "manflesh" as heretical in the eyes of the Horned Rat. Shortly after arriving, and bullying the local leaders into at least pretending to help him, Thanquol discovers his "new" best friend - Boneripper the mutant Rat Ogre (Thanquol has gone through many different Bonerippers, most of which died at the hands of Gotrek).

While some of the Skaven characters in the book represent the "heavy hitters" of the Skaven elite, the human characters featured in the book are mostly criminals or those associated with them. One exception is a mysterious figure who controls a vast network of servants across all of Altdorf and leads the band of "heroes" to stop the maniacal Skaven from controlling the Wormstone. The relationship between the denizens of upper and under Altdorf is the primary focus of much of the novel and provides some interesting moments for fans of Warhammer lore.

Overall the storyline is a basic one. Villain sets out on an impossible quest, villain meets another villain, villains meets resistance, big fights ensue, magic is used, warpstone is snuffed, and the musk of fear is sprayed all over. The end?

I found the book to be an enjoyable read and better by far than some of Werner's more recent work. Werner manages to craft a believable world of Skaven, complete with interesting rat-characters, a good old fashioned mystery, and a huge magical showdown deep under the city of Altdorf. Those interested in Skaven culture will find plenty of new information here while those looking for an entertaining (and easy) read should be entertained as well.

I'm sure this is far from the last we have seen of Thanquol and I look forward to more stories set in the dark and dank world of the Skaven.

Verdict: 7.5 out of 10.

Book Review - "Blood for the Blood God" by C.L. Werner.

Another recent purchase from the Black Library and another book review for the site. Still working my way through a fairly massive stack of books, hope to have another review up within the next few months!

"Blood for the Blood God" by C.L. Werner

The "glorious king" Teiyogtei Khagan was once worshipped as a god on earth. An unstoppable warrior of the Tsavag tribe, Teiyogtei managed to unite the warring tribes near the Chaos Wastes - aided in part by an extraordinary weapon known as the Bloodeater. A weapon crafted on the Black Altar deep within the Chaos Wastes, the Bloodeater thrived on raw hate imbued by a fallen daemon Teiyogtei had slain. While he held this weapon no one dared oppose the will of Teiyogtei, to do so meant a swift and brutal death. And so it was within and without the tribes until the Skulltaker came...

The Skulltaker - an executioner of Khorne who had come to kill those who had been deemed traitors of the Blood God. In an epic battle between Teiyogtei and the Skulltaker, Teiyogtei slays the champion of Khorne with the Bloodeater but at the cost of his own life. Once destroyed, the Skulltaker's mortal shell is banished for over five hundred years - but prophets claim the Skulltaker would return once again to wreak his bloody vengeance on the descendants of Teiyogtei. And that is where the story begins, with the Skulltaker having returned to tribes intent on adding a few skulls to the Skull Throne of Khorne.

Werner does a great job of depicting life within the northern lands of the Chaos Wastes, highlighting the humanity of the Chaos hordes while emphasizing each Tribe's particular beliefs and traditions. The story is at its best and most interesting while delving into the political relationships between each tribe and their Warlords. The region is held in place by each tribe in a sort of diplomatic stalemate that has formed between them. The stalemate is finally broken when the Skulltaker returns to the lands intent on cutting the legacy of the King Teiyogtei from the flesh of each tribe's Warlord.

The fight scenes within the book are fairly one dimensional and overly simplified and there are quite a few of them in the story. Most encounters with the Skulltaker can be summed up with the following series of events:

1. We can kill this guy! Who does he think he is! We are the descenders of Teiyogtei and have been gifted by the ruinous powers with wondrous abilities and magic weaponry.
2. Go my minions! Kill this intruder! The Skulltaker is a myth!
3. Holy crap he just killed hundreds of my best warriors. I will have to be careful fighting him.
4. Oh crap. I can't kill this guy.
5. Oh crap, I am dead.
6. Skulltaker takes the Warlord's skull as a trophy for the Skull Throne.

While some of the story's characters are interesting and unique, many come of as your typical Fantasy cliches and are treated as such. Some stretches of the story can drag as Werner like to use long-winded descriptions to get across simple plot points. If you can work your way through these few tedious sections there is plenty of fantasy action to be had with treason, war, magic, bloody battles, and a rather unexpected ending as your reward.

Overall I enjoyed this book and would love to see more stories which center around the Northern Chaos tribes. This may not be the best example of Werner's writing, and I still prefer the Witch Hunter series over this book, but if you are looking for a blood-drenched tale of death and doom then look no further.

Verdict: 6 out of 10.

Book Review - "Storm of Iron" by Graham McNeill.

I've been slowly amassing and reading a collection of Black Library books over the past year. I thought it would be cool to do a short review of each of these books as I read them. This is my first review - if you have any feedback on the format and content please share it. I can't promise all of my book reviews will be this detailed but I will try my best!

"Storm of Iron" by Graham McNeill

Epic battles. Everyone loves them. The few and the proud against the hordes of evil in a winner takes all battle for ultimate supremacy. These elements provide a good backdrop for human drama and character development, and can be seen in many instances of film, comics, television, and literature throughout the years.

"Storm of Iron" provides a Warhammer 40k take on this same ideal. An impenetrable fortress manned by a hardened force ready to die for their beliefs. To never yield or falter in the face of certain doom and a tragic end at the hands of a bloodcrazed and evil enemy.

But things don't quite go that way, which makes this story stand out as being a bit different from those in the past. The good guys don't win, in fact they serve as unwitting agents of their own destruction throughout the story. A series of bad to worst, the warriors in this tale are constantly forced to make decisions that will inevitably destroy them.

This book is at its best when confronting these choices, and the strained relationships between the principle characters on both sides. The jockeying between the Chaos leaders, all vying for the attention and respect of their master Warsmith, gives a sense of the twisted minds behind the Iron Warriors. The petty squabbling, and secret agenda of the Imperium, leads to many undeserved deaths throughout the ranks of the defenders.

The rest of the book is a series of workman-like tales of battle. A respectable attempt at outlining the vast conflict from both sides, this element of the story invariably fails to rise to the heights of the interesting characters. I often found myself quickly skimming through the same series of soldiers being blasted apart by artillery, lascannons, and bolters just so I could get back to the "important parts". This lends a sense of drudgery and boredom to what could otherwise be an exciting and fast paced story.

Given the scope of the story contained in this one novel, I don't know that it would be possible to avoid these pitfalls and I must give credit to Graham for creating a unique and interesting one off set within the 40k universe.

A good novel to read if you know nothing about 40k and the conflict between the Emperor and the forces of Chaos, but it does take some liberties with the source material which may annoy hardcore 40k fans.

An overall enjoyable read, and am I curious to read more about the characters who survive the bloody conflict outlined in this book.

Verdict: 6.5 out of 10.