A bit late, not just looking at the calendar, but also because I'm halfway through God King, the sequel, but I have to get this sorted now, at last.
Yes, I know, I've been slacking off, but try to understand - I'm also a gamer, and the last many weeks were hardcore, both in terms of entertainment value, challenges and on my pocket. Wish me luck that I can get back on track without too much trouble!

Either way, here's my review of Graham McNeill's Empire. I very much enjoyed reading this novel, and hope to convey the reasons well enough.

The Story:

"Having driven back the orc invaders, Sigmar unites the tribes of men and founds the Empire. The fledgling empire grows, but its prosperity is not assured. The lands are still wild and untamed, and many enemies lurk in the forests and the mountains. When a Chaos invasion sweeps down from Norsca, the ensuing conflict tests the abilities of Sigmar and his chieftains to the utmost."

Book Two of The Legend of Sigmar

General Information

There's hardly anything to say in general about Empire at this point. You should read Heldenhammer first, so check the earlier review of that novel first. The individual novels of the Sigmar trilogy will probably be out of stock everywhere by now, but don't worry - there's a newly released Omnibus readily available, collecting all three novels into one massive tome. If you consider the story interesting based on the reviews, go ahead and buy it. Not only do you save money, but it will also looks great on your bookshelf.

Note: This review might include spoilers due to being a sequel.

Structure & Plot

Empire follows directly after the end of Heldenhammer, which introduced Sigmar and the tribes that would form the biggest Empire in the world known to men. While Heldenhammer introduced the characters the Legend of Sigmar depends on, presenting the dream of Sigmar Heldenhammer up to its fruition, the sequel does paint a slightly different picture. The adult king of the Unberogen is taking up the crown of the Emperor, uniting his tribes under one banner and keeping their lands safe.

However glorious the ceremony of his coronation, or the dream itself might be, the task resting on Sigmar's shoulders is a heavy burden to bear. The Emperor soon realizes that mankind's enemies are many, ranging from the vile beastmen lurking in the forests right within the Empire, to the savage orcs or the restless dead. Sigmar has to fend off all kinds of forces that would see his work destroyed.

He cannot do this alone. Unity is the key to mankind's success. To show their allegiance to Sigmar as their Emperor, the former tribal kings shed their titles in favor of a less pompous title. They are counts of the Empire, equals under their Emperor's rule. Yet while they support Sigmar's dream, their internal struggles keep Sigmar on his toes. He has to learn to be just as skillful a diplomat as he is a warrior, appease rivalling counts, reassure loyalties and face his own fears.
However, one tribal king did not stand with him at Blackfire Pass to defend their realms against the orc invaders, and when all attempts on diplomacy fail, Sigmar's quest for unity takes him to the walls of Jutonsryk. After a long and depressing siege, he succeeds in bringing the Jutone merchant city to join his Empire.

The newfound wealth through trading lets the Empire grow far beyond its limits while ghosts of the past plan their schemes, forcing Sigmar's hand against the undead gathering near Middenheim, the city of the White Wolf. An artefact of incredible strength falls into Sigmar's hands, and he must resist temptations from beyond the grave to stay true to himself.
The book comes to its eventual conclusion after a massive invasion from the north, which sees Middenheim ravaged by Norsii tribes, beastmen and the minions of the Blood God. Upon the anvil of the Fauschlag Rock, old bonds of loyalty and friendship will be reaffirmed and new ones crafted, as the unity of the Empire is being put to a test.

Final Words & Verdict

I very much enjoyed Empire, maybe even more so than Heldenhammer. I can fully understand why this book won the David Gemmel Legend Award 2010 and believe that it absolutely deserved that honour.

Empire puts everything we've read about in its prequel to a test, puts the pieces into relation, shows us new characters we only heard about before, while keeping everything solidly connected. The first of the Empire's many counts are getting much more attention, the headaches that come with dealing with all their squabbles are comprehensible and actually reach the reader, and the risks, fears and dangers feel realistic enough to keep you hooked til the very end.

Graham McNeill managed to keep a fantastic balance between moments of hope and despair, glory and shame, life and death. Nothing here seemed wasted, overdone or lacked impact. While one can argue that the development of the Empire as a nation feels rushed, with incredible discoveries and construction projects being fulfilled in a manner which makes modern architecture feel like a sad, ineffective joke, it did not bother me in the slightest. The early years of the Empire are an age of prosperity, great developments and epic heroes - we can surely overlook those minor gripes in favor of a well-crafted world.

To me, Empire is the second extremely strong novel in the Sigmar trilogy, and the first 200 pages of God King I read this far is looking solid as well. If you haven't picked these books up yet, I want to ask you one simple question:
Why haven't you?

Empire on the Black Library Website

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Architect of Fate is the first Space Marine Battles anthology. I am sure, it won't be the last we'll be seeing, since eShorts and audio dramas tend to end up in print rather sooner than later. However, AoF is special in one regard: all four novella-length stories are related to the anthology's core character, in one way or another.
Kairos Fateweaver, the Oracle of Tzeentch, is shaping the Space Marine's fate in this anthology, and slowly the pieces fall into place, revealing just another grand scheme of the Lord of Change...

The Story:

"The Space Marines stand against the darkness, and yet on countless battlefields they play unwitting roles in the schemes of Fateweaver. From the doomed world of Ilissus, through the embattled corridors of the Endeavour of Will, to the borders of the Eye of Terror itself – friend and foe alike follow the great plan that he set in motion many thousands of years ago. But not even the Architect of Fate himself can foresee the destiny that lies in wait for him..."

Collected for the first time, all four parts of the Architect of Fate novella series are presented in a single printed volume. The infamous Kairos Fateweaver, greater daemon of Tzeentch and master of manipulation, has discovered the limits of his power – even one so prescient as he cannot divine beyond the event horizon at the end of the 41st Millennium.

General Information

Architect of Fate is the first anthology in the Space Marine Battles series to date. It includes four novella-length stories, more or less linked to a central topic: Fate. It is fate that lets the Star Dragons and Blood Swords tread on the damned floors of the Accursed Eternity, just as it was the Relictors' fate to fall from grace. It was also fate that saw the space fortress Bastion Inviolate being violated by a powerful data-daemon. But even the Fateweaver is not exempted from the twisting threads of destiny, as this anthology shows.

Kairos Fateweaver, Greater Daemon of Tzeentch, his Oracle, able to stare into the future - something his Lord and Master could not do without doubt. One head always lies, while the other speaks the truth, but how to find out whose words will lead to salvation, and which mouth utters your death sentence?

All stories featured in this anthology are self-contained, picking up threads of the background and weaving new patterns into the lore. Most of the featured Space Marine Chapters have been barely explored by official sources and thus make for a nice introduction to the series, or even franchise, while the established Chapters and characters are getting nicely illustrated in ways which don't make it hard to get familiar with them at all. Aside from Space Marines, Imperial Guard and, of course, Daemons, three of the featured novellas also have Inquisitors joining the cast, all of which are interesting and show various aspects of the fractioned Ordos of the Emperor's Holy Inquisition.

Architect of Fate should be easily understandable to novices of the franchise, even though fans will of course get the greatest mileage out of reading it. I personally would even go as far as to say that this anthology is a fantastic introduction to the Imperium's struggle against the forces of Chaos.

Accursed Eternity

by Sarah Cawkwell

"Space Marines of the Blood Swords and Star Dragons Chapters are enlisted by Inquisitor Remigius of the Ordo Malleus to storm the infamous daemonship known as the Accursed Eternity. But all is not as it first appears, and what should have been a relatively simple mission rapidly devolves into a hellish warp-spawned nightmare – the stage is set for a galaxy-spanning tale of Chaotic intrigue and of a war which has lasted for ten-thousand years..."

Having this story introducing the anthology was a good decision. It quickly builds up a certain sense of conflict and tension which it sustained til the very end. My only regret regarding this story would be that the end came way too soon, leaving questions unanswered, or rather open to speculation. Accursed Eternity was such a good concept with satisfying execution, I'd have loved to read at least 50 more pages about the twisted horrors the ghost ship throws at its uninvited guests. The scenario's potential simply exceeded the story's roughly 100 pages.
In fact, speaking of horror is quite accurate, since the horror elements featured in the novella are one of its strongest points. From the moment the Star Dragons and Blood Swords enter the halls of the Accursed Eternity onwards, a psychological thriller unfolds, tying the reader to the pages (or screen). Questionable loyalties, distrust between allies and the nagging presence of something utterly wrong in the back of one's head drive this story on more than just one plane of existence. Of course, there surely was something utterly wrong on board the daemon ship in general...
Until the very end I did not know who, if any of the loyalists, would possibly survive, and as soon as it was over, I got stuck thinking about the novella's implications, especially the revelations regarding the Accursed Eternity, the warp-entity controlling it and the imperial Containment Fleet Kappa, that shaped the final chapters.

The cast of characters was quite excellent; an Inquisitor, two Astartes Chapters lacking everything beyond a few descriptive lines of background material and a bunch of daemons make this an exciting ride. I was a bit disappointed by some great characters, like the Star Dragons' Astropath, Kerys Jabiru, not having a greater role in the novella, and am hoping that Sarah will come back to these two Astartes Chapters somewhere along the line. I found myself instantly taking a liking to her characters and felt like they had a very enjoyable, fresh air around themselves. It was indeed very easy to get into the story, seeing the events unfold in my mind's eye without effort.

Sadly, due to the supposed novella-length, a few of those aspects didn't come across as well as they could have, if given enough room for exploration. But I guess that could not be helped, and was to be expected. It was still a damn good read, and I'd love to read more about Sarah's Star Dragons and Blood Swords rather sooner than later. Next up, however, will be Valkia the Bloody - I can't wait to find out how Sarah breathed life into the Gorequeen...

Sanctus

by Darius Hinks

"The Relictors are sent by the Inquisition to loot the repositories and libraries of a world on the cusp of annihilation. With the countdown to Exterminatus looming over them, they realise that even the Chaos Space Marines of the dreaded Black Legion are not the worst threat that they will have to face before they can escape, and that their true enemy may lie elsewhere."

Sanctus plays out on two layers, one telling of a squad of the Relictors Chapter of the Space Marines, down on the surface of a doomed planet bordering at the Eye of Terror. The Relictors, deemed traitors to many imperial authorities, are using whatever means necessary to fight the enemies of mankind. Alien technology, occult lore, they are actively searching for artifacts that would see even an Inquisitor branded a radical. No matter how good their intentions are, their Chapter has been paying the price for their obsession with forbidden knowledge, but they are not entirely without friends.
Inquisitor Mortmain, leading authority over fleet Sanctus, has given the Relictors a short timeframe to find out what really happened on the planet's surface. A terran navigator house has taken too much interest in seeing the planet destroyed, and Mortmain would not put a whole world to the torch without unveiling all of the mysteries surrounding its fall from grace. But when the daemon Cerbalus breaks free of his host, the Inquisitor is forced to act more quickly than expected, for the daemon learned of it all. Exterminatus cannot wait any longer. Cerbalus is unstoppable.
A battle against time itself ensues, with the Relictors hurrying towards their goal, oblivious to the events in orbit, and Mortmain hurrying to begin the orbital bombardement.

To date, I have only read Darius's story Cankerworm for Warhammer Fantasy, which was released during the Black Library's 15th Anniversary celebration. While his Warhammer Heroes novel Sigvald has been sitting on my shelf for far too long, I absolutely loved Cankerworm. Hinks got talent, and this also became apparent in Sanctus, although the story got overshadowed by the restrictions imposed upon it by being part of a thematical anthology like this one.
Sanctus plays with a very tzeentchian theme - the flow of time. The beginning of the story marks the end, with the chapters in-between telling the actual story which led to the events in the looped timeframe. Fittingly, Sanctus is written in present tense, leaving no hint on whether these events played in the past or are yet to happen - for all intents and purposes, it is happening, maybe not even for the first time, while the reader is flipping the pages. I felt that Hinks pulled this off very nicely, and especially the implications of the ending - or beginning - made it an enjoyable and satisfying read.

While I personally quite enjoyed Sanctus for all it delivered, I am not so sure that it fits well into the anthology. As Bane of Kings stated in his own review for The Founding Fields, this story could have easily filled a full-length novel or might even have worked better as a stand-alone novella due to its lack of actual references to Tzeentch, Kairos and their likes. Certainly not a bad story, but it got massively held back by the novella's restrictions and feeling out of place in this Space Marine Battles volume.

Endeavour of Will

by Ben Counter

"Chaos Space Marines of the Iron Warriors Legion launch a devastating attack upon their hated foes the Imperial Fists, crippling one of their principal starforts. Unperturbed, the heroic Captain Darnath Lysander withdraws his warriors to a second stronghold, the Endeavour of Will, to weather the rest of the assault. But as the Iron Warriors’ methods are revealed, critical and desperate decisions must be made, lest their insidious techno-contagion spread throughout the Imperial Fists’ fleet and beyond..."

Without a doubt, Endeavour of Will was a good story. It had suspense, tension and was quite unpredictable. I dare say it was a bit too unpredictable, however, almost shouting 'Deus Ex Machina at the reader. While we all love plot-twists and surprises that break the mold, especially in action-heavy stories, I felt like some things about this story didn't match up as well as I had thought they would, and at times it seemed like Ben Counter was a bit too liberal with the background material. A few things simply irked me about it. Some of these things were rather silly mistakes, like describing the Imperial Fists' heraldry as a "red fist", when it has always been black on a white background (the Crimson Fists' heraldry is red, however). There were a few such inconsistencies to be found in Endeavour of Will, which makes me wonder; Ben Counter has written six whole novels about the Imperial Fists' successor Chapter, the Soul Drinkers, which heavily featured both Imperial and Crimson Fists, so I would expect him to have a complete grip on the Chapter.

Counter tries a range of things with Endeavour of Will.
The way the machine-spirits of the twin star-forts Bastion Inviolate and Endeavour of Will are depicted is entirely unique. I have never read a 40k story that showed the machine-spirit in such a way. Considering the vast amount of time both forts have spent in space, processing data and growing over the millenia, I can well believe that their artificial intelligences would develop a certain character, and bond with their crew. However, once again, this is a novella, so there was not much bonding between crew and machine, and in fact not much screentime for either of them, despite being a vital part of the story. The old rivalry between Imperial Fists and Iron Warriors is being shown mostly through the views of Darnath Lysander and the Iron Warrior's leader, Warsmith Shon'tu. Ben played these cards well, trying to show the similarities between the masters of fortification and those of siegecraft, and both sides outsmart each other throughout the novella just as much as they go toe-to-toe for thick action. Sadly, the story plays out mostly between the two leaders, with other Fists or Warriors getting little actual attention aside from notes on dropping dead during the battle. Interestingly, though, Lysander's past, namely his disappearance, got covered in an interesting way, bringing up both questions for the reader and making room for Shon'tu's daemonic allies, connecting the story to the tzeentchian theme of the anthology.

However, there are quite a few bits I did not like. While the other featured Architect of Fate stories felt limited by their permitted length, Endeavour of Will truly had too much going on. It seemed like Counter tried to cut-down a whole novel concept into a quarter of the usual pagecount while maintaining all key-elements but drastically shortening the overall level of detail, character development and buildup. I've never been into Imperial Fists, believing them to be the most boring loyalist faction of the Space Marines; while this Endeavour made me care a lot about Lysander, I couldn't find it in me to actually give a damn about all the other imperials. The only exception to that was the Tech-Marine Hestion, who didn't fare all that well.
Endeavour of Will had massive potential, but also wasted massive opportunities by the way it was executed.

Quite honestly, I am completely torn about this novella. I enjoyed it for the fast-paced action, the load of twists it delivered and the insights on Captain Darnath Lysander of the Imperial Fists, who had been a well-known special character on the tabletop for ages, but there were certain aspects about the story that made me want to put it away. Trying to do something rather unique, or adding new layers to existent pieces of the overall lore is something I usually appreciate, but this time it made for a bag of mixed feelings.
It is too bad that it turned out like this, since Endeavour of Will had a range of brilliant scenes and ties to other parts of the franchise. Don't worry too much about this story, however - it is certainly entertaining and worth reading, but better take it with a grain of salt.

Fateweaver

by John French

"The White Consuls Space Marine Chapter answers a distress call, only to discover that the source of the signal is far more terrifying than the message it relays. As a psychic backlash sweeps through their astropathic choir, the infamous Kairos Fateweaver, greater daemon of Tzeentch and master of manipulation, reveals his final hand in a game which has lasted since the beginning of time. Destiny awaits."

I felt like I really needed something great to recover from my disappointment regarding Endeavour of Will, and hoped for Fateweaver to deliver. Bearing the name of the Oracle of Tzeentch, this story just had to be worthwhile, I hoped.
The story mainly focuses on Epistolary Cyrus Aurelius of the White Consuls and how he leads his brothers into what might appear like a trap. Following in the wake of the Inquisition, witnessing dead worlds that fell victim to the judgement of Exterminatus and hearing whispered warnings uttering the word Fateweaver, the White Consuls set out to prevent fate repeating itself on the astropathic relay station Claros. Cyrus, however, does not just follow a distress signal, but also his own visions - visions of his own death, fighting warp-spawn. But when the Consuls arrive at Claros, nothing seems amiss.
Fate, however, is inevitable, so the daemonic incursions the signal reported and Cyrus dreamed of eventually begin taking their toll. It is a battle that would see the station destroyed without a doubt, if Cyrus cannot grasp the meaning of the false distress call before it is too late. 'Fateweaver' - what does that name mean and why did countless worlds utter it while breathing their last breaths?

Fateweaver is, without a doubt, the best of the featured stories. It has everything; from a perfect pacing, growing foreboding and excitement to a meaningful ending which is not only full of action and sacrifice but also incredibly satisfying to experience. I am impressed at how French managed to build up on Sarah's efforts while raising the stakes even higher and higher while his story progressed. His characters are incredibly interesting and easy to connect to, and even those poor souls that get sacrificed along the way were artfully crafted, making me, as the reader, regret their loss. For tabletop-generals fielding Daemons onto the battlefield, there's even a meet&greet with the Changeling, which got presented awe-inspiringly well and true to the lore.

There could not have been any better way to end this anthology.
John French successfully incorporated the events from Sarah's Accursed Eternity into his Fateweaver, turning this anthology into a full cycle. While neither Sanctus nor Endeavour of Will are being mentioned in any direct manner, I felt like the fate of Inquisitor Mortmain from Sanctus was being hinted at (but do not take my word for it, it might not have been intended), making this a perfectly fine selection of novellas.

"It is what we were made for", a line which describes this novella all too well. Fate has its hold on every character in Fateweaver, and while some struggle to resist falling prey to their future, others embrace it. But despite that, at no point did I feel like things were set in stone, like this novella was predicable or growing dull. Quite the contrary; it has been a ride I am all too eager to repeat in due time, and I am convinced that the revelations made will blow my mind again.
Call me biased, but this story earned a spot in my personal favorites, just as was fated to happen. I hereby bow my head and tip my hat to John French. This novella was absolutely fantastic, captivating and conclusive. I hope you will agree, once you reach this anthology's grandiose conclusion.

Final Words & Verdict

Overall I quite enjoyed this anthology. Some stories might have had their downsides, Endeavour of Will doubly so, but the package you get here is one I wouldn't want to pass on. Indeed, it has been worth reading for Accursed Eternity and Fateweaver alone, which make up the core of the anthology.
My only real negative points about the collection would be that the first two stories were way too short for what they could have delivered with their massive potential, while Ben Counter's contribution might just as well have been scrapped altogether, at least removed from this anthology. Fateweaver, however, dealt fantastically with its restrictions, and worked perfectly the way it played out. As I stated elsewhere in this review, giving both Sanctus and Accursed Eternity 50 more pages each would have made them shine much brighter, and leaving Endeavour of Will for a stand-alone release would have made that entirely possible. Don't get me wrong, I do not want to trample down on Ben's story, but it just didn't work here, and it disappoints me that the Space Marine Battles-logo on the anthology's spine wears the colors of the Imperial Fists, when the real diamond in here was John French's story featuring the White Consuls.

But alas, nothing I can do about it, and it certainly isn't anything that should scare you from picking this book up. You'll get your mileage out of it in any case. I clearly recommend getting your hands on Architect of Fate.

It's taken me a while to get another book done and reviewed, but I hope to finish Aaron Dembski-Bowden's The Emperor's Gift over the weekend. Yes, I know, yet another AD-B review is coming, but what can I do? I just cannot resist...

Architect of Fate on the Black Library Website

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While I'm typing this post, Germany is already good four and a half hours into this year's Towel Day - May 25. Some of you might be asking themselves what the hell that is supposed to be, and why you should care.

First of all, Towel Day is a day where the world shows their appreciation and pays tribute to the famous author Douglas Adams. Adams died on May 11 in 2001, and two weeks after his death, the first ever annual Towel Day was celebrated.

Douglas Adams? Maybe the name rings a bell already, but here it comes:
He wrote The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, which spans a radio comedy series, a 'trilogy of five books', a TV series, even a movie adaption and lots of other stuff. It is quite popular and should be a title most science fiction fans are popular all too familiar.

Shortly after Adams's death, a post found its way on the Internet:

Towel Day: A Tribute to Douglas Adams
Monday 14 May 2001 06:00am PDT

Douglas Adams will be missed by his fans worldwide. So that all his fans everywhere can pay tribute to this genius, I propose that two weeks after his passing (25 May 2001) be marked as "Towel Day". All Douglas Adams fans are encouraged to carry a towel with them for the day.

So long Douglas, and thanks for all the fish!

— D Clyde Williamson, 2001-05-14

Now, 'Why a towel?', you might be asking. It is a question best answered by quoting the Hitchhiker's Guide itself:

A towel, it says, is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have. Partly it has great practical value. You can wrap it around you for warmth as you bound across the cold moons of Jaglan Beta; you can lie on it on the brilliant marble-sanded beaches of Santraginus V, inhaling the heady sea vapours; you can sleep under it beneath the stars which shine so redly on the desert world of Kakrafoon; use it to sail a miniraft down the slow heavy River Moth; wet it for use in hand-to-hand-combat; wrap it round your head to ward off noxious fumes or avoid the gaze of the Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal (such a mind-bogglingly stupid animal, it assumes that if you can't see it, it can't see you); you can wave your towel in emergencies as a distress signal, and of course dry yourself off with it if it still seems to be clean enough.

More importantly, a towel has immense psychological value. For some reason, if a strag (strag: non-hitch hiker) discovers that a hitch hiker has his towel with him, he will automatically assume that he is also in possession of a toothbrush, face flannel, soap, tin of biscuits, flask, compass, map, ball of string, gnat spray, wet weather gear, space suit etc., etc. Furthermore, the strag will then happily lend the hitch hiker any of these or a dozen other items that the hitch hiker might accidentally have "lost". What the strag will think is that any man who can hitch the length and breadth of the galaxy, rough it, slum it, struggle against terrible odds, win through, and still knows where his towel is, is clearly a man to be reckoned with.

If you're a fan, or simply want to have a good Friday afternoon and maybe do something crazy, you should definitely check out the list of internationally planned Towel Day activities on towelday.org. There's probably something going on near you!
Maybe you haven't heard of Douglas Adams or the Hitchhiker's yet, but if this post made you curious, please check Adams's Goodreads page.

My Towel has been slung around my neck for the past 5 hours now, so I guess I'll be safe today. What about you?

Don't Panic.
Have a nice Towel Day 2012!

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After finishing the prequel Soul Hunter incredibly quickly, I've been waiting for Blood Reaver to arrive on my doorstep, eager to claw myself back into the Night Lords trilogy. Apparently, though, I was not meant to finish it quite as quickly as I had wished to, but at last, here's the review. Let me just say that this was a fantastic successor to Soul Hunter, and left me shivering and chuckling alike. The new contributions to the series really added even more depth to the scenario, and I appreciated every chapter. A lot of neat details featured in the book tempt me to order some boxes to convert a few Chaos Marines models for my shelf...

First Claw is hunting again. In search for prey, they stalk the night once more.

The Story:

"Driven on by their hatred of the False Emperor, the Night Lords stalk the shadows of the galaxy, eternally seeking revenge for the death of their primarch. Their dark quest leads them to a fractious alliance with the Red Corsairs, united only by a common enemy. Together with this piratical band of renegades, they bring their ways of destruction to the fortress-monastery of the Marines Errant."

General Information

Blood Reaver is the sequel to Soul Hunter - don't read it without having read that one first. Most things said in the earlier review still hold true; the story still brings up Heresy-era moments once in a while, which makes sense given most of the cast's involvement in the Siege of Terra. The Night Lords are still screwed, even more so than in SH, with their ship critically damaged and their supplies at rock-bottom, and they are still treacherous bastards.
If you have enjoyed Soul Hunter's depiction of the 8th Legion, you won't be disappointed.

Structure & Plot

The Night Lords of the Exalted's warband are struggling for survival. Their supplies are almost at an end, their ship is critically damaged after the events at Crythe told in the prequel, and their ranks are diminished. In-fighting takes its bitter toll on the Legion and their new Navigator, Octavia, the eighth of Talos's slaves, has to fight for control over their vessel, the Covenant of Blood, who rejects her guidance through the warp. Desperate actions lead to the warband striking for Ganges Station, an Imperial deep-space refinery, to plunder supplies, slaves and technical components to keep the Covenant going. When Imperial reinforcements are inbound, the Exalted has to give another shameful order to ensure the Company's survival - retreat. Given the circumstances, there is only one way to repair the ship and become hunters again: sailing into the Maelstrom, begging for a Tyrant's assistance.

Lufgt Huron, called Blackheart, Blood Reaver, the Tyrant of Badab is a broken creature, yet still holds together in his hatred for the Imperium and is planning his greatest assault to date when the unlucky Night Lords arrive at the docks of Hell's Iris: Attacking the fortress-monastery of the Marines Errant Chapter to plunder their precious gene-seed to cripple the loyalist Chapter and swell the ranks of Huron's Red Corsairs even further. The Tyrant's ascendancy and the richness of his renegade warband show a strong contrast to the crippled Night Lords Company, and Huron knows fully well that he may use them as a vital pawn in his war. But the Exalted and First Claw are just as treacherous as the Blood Reaver, and are aiming for something far different for the siege - the Red Corsair's spoils of war. The former Night Lords vessel Echo of Damnation will be their prize for helping Huron. He just does not know it yet...

Final Words & Verdict

All in all, I loved Blood Reaver, probably even more than Soul Hunter, which makes it quite exceptional. The Night Lords are changing, which gets clear throughout the whole novel. Some things will end, others will begin, and nothing will be quite the way it was before this story. Characters are getting a lot of development, either directly or passively, and BR even explores some more emotional tunes, which build up a solid balance to the presence of the Tyrant of Badab and his minions. I even think Huron has been a more impressive leader than Abaddon the Despoiler in Soul Hunter, and almost wished for the Blackheart to lead a 'Red Crusade' to rival Abaddon's black ones.
Incredibly enough, some of the new characters made me laugh heartily at times, from Octavia's attendant 'Hound' to the ninth slave of Talos and the strange chemistry between some characters. Not only that, but it also managed to make me grieve the losses this book brought with it and the sacrifices made by some members of the warband. The end was quite bitter-sweet and the epilogue promises some exciting events to happen in Void Stalker, when Talos's visions of the Eldar finally become a reality.

Blood Reaver is full of surprises and draws you into the setting. Aaron proves yet again that he's the mastermind behind the 41st Millenium's heretics and feeds the reader with a high amount of tension and action. If you've read Soul Hunter, you simply have to read the sequel, and if you haven't yet, this book is just another damn-good reason to catch up with the trilogy. It is dark, it is full of treachery and even hope for a change.
The second Night Lords novel is definitely worth the time you will spend on it.

Next up for me is either Atlas Infernal, Empire or, you guessed it, Void Stalker, the last book about Aaron's Night Lords. I'll have to make up my mind today.

Blood Reaver on the Black Library Website

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Quite honestly, I have tried starting Heldenhammer more times than I'd like to admit. There were plenty of reasons to finally get done with it, and, in hindsight, I don't regret the time spent in any way. It is a pity that bad timing always stood between me and the Legend of Sigmar, for the book was truly moving.

Now that I am finally done, let me review the first Sigmar novel in detail. Will I pledge my sword for the Heldenhammer's dream of an united Empire of man?

The Story:

"It is a time of legends. The lands of the old World are wild and untamed, where the primitive tribes of men struggle for survival. In this time of peril, by virtue of his valorous deeds, a young man claims leadership of the Unberogen tribe. His name is Sigmar Heldenhammer, and his actions will change history forever. This is the story of how Sigmar rose to power, culminating in the Battle of Black Fire Pass, where men and dwarfs fought against the vast hordes of orcs in their quest to safeguard the future of the Empire."

Book One of The Legend of Sigmar

General Information

Heldenhammer was the first book in the Time of Legends series to get released. The trilogy is complete by now, with the Omnibus collecting all three parts of the Legend of Sigmar coming up this summer. All Time of Legends contributions aim to unveil essential parts of the fictional history of the franchise, telling the stories of the first undead who ever rose from their graves, or the civil war engulfing the elven dynasty, and many other tales beyond these.
The Legend of Sigmar trilogy follows the life of Sigmar, King of the Unberogen tribe, and shows how he realises his dream of humanity united in purpose. Did you ever wonder what's up with the Warhammer that gives the franchise its venerable name? Sigmar was the first man to wield it in battle, and he was the one who reshaped the scattered, rival tribes of men into what would become humanity's greatest realm in the Warhammer world - the Empire. It is a quest that would eventually see him revered as a God by the men of the Empire for millenia to come.
Heldenhammer is quite a classical story, written in a different, lighter tone than other grimdark Warhammer novels; it is full of hope, good humor and events of cinematic proportions, almost comparable to the epic sagas we have been collecting over the course of human history. It is a story which lays the foundation for the franchise, so even if you've never heard or read of Warhammer before, you might easily enjoy it.

Structure & Plot

The book starts the night before Sigmar sets out with an army of his tribe to battle the Orcs invading the lands of their allies. Sigmar has ridden into battle before and even earned himself the gratitude of the dwarfen High King Kurgan Ironbeard, but this time he will earn his shield and progress into manhood, leading hundreds of Unberogen warriors against the enemies of mankind. Swinging the legendary hammer Ghal-maraz, the gift of King Kurgan, Sigmar and his men quickly emerge victorious, but one of his Sword-Brothers, Trinovantes, fell to the Orc warlord while holding the assault to give the rest of the army time to resupply.
Returning home to Reikdorf, a shadow lies over Sigmar's triumph, for his fallen friend's twin, Gerreon, blames Sigmar for the death of his brother. Worse even, the woman Sigmar loves was the sister of the twins, and stands between both sides. While Sigmar's father, King Björn of the Unberogen tribe, honours him and the fallen men, Sigmar overcomes his shyness and begins a relationship with his beloved and dreams of a future where all men stand together against the shadows that threaten their race, united and strong as an empire.
Little does he know that Gerreon, feeling betrayed by both Sigmar and his sister, plots against the King's son, and that his apologies aren't to be trusted. Sigmar's naivety would see him stripped of what he loved most andhurt beyond measure, but despite all he would emerge stronger than ever.

After his father's death in battle against the barbaric tribes of the north, the Norsii, Sigmar inherits the title of King of the Unberogen and quickly sets out to realise his dream. While uniting the rivalling tribes turns out to be just as hard a task as expected, Sigmar would not leave the road he has determined for himself, and overcomes all the trials before him. He renewed old swordoaths, forges new bonds with the other kings, slays creatures that would see men destroyed and eventually leads his race to new heights. His goal seems to be near, but mankind's enemies did not sit idle, and soon warnings of a new threat reach the King's ears:
The Orcs march for war. Ten thousands of Orcs seek to invade the lands of men, and only if all tribes work and fight as one will their race be allowed to survive, for alone they are lost. Sigmar leads a massive army of all his allied tribes to stand against the Orc warlord Urgluk Bloodfang - at Black Fire Pass, the fate of humanity will be decided, and an Empire born...

The book spans many years in Sigmar's life, from his mid-teens to late twenties, laying the foundation for the legends surrounding him. Apart from a few scenes, the whole story is written from either his perspective or with focus on his life and surroundings. Heldenhammer really manages to breathe life into Sigmar's character, making him much more than the sum of the legends of his deeds. It is a story full of emotion, hope and great strength that shows expertly just how much potential lies in unity.
Of course, telling of an individuals life in such a way will lead to the feeling that things are going too fast at times, and many details and discoveries ended up as mere notes between events; the introduction of rune-writing, stone roads, better wargear and the quick growth of human settlements all have a place in the story, and a role to play, yet they are never really explored as much as I'd liked them to be. What might seem unnecessary or even boring to others I thought was a great way to build up the world, showing just how essential Sigmar was to humanity's prosperity. While what was written was enough, I surely wouldn't have argued against more of these details along the road.

Final Words & Verdict

Graham McNeill managed to drag me completely into the story. The dialogues were inspiring, emotional and enjoyable. It was incredible how some scenes made me laugh, and how human the characters felt. Even Sigmar, who might be seen as some sort of wonder-boy by some for realising his dreams and smiting even the most brutal beasts on his own, felt human, realistic and deep. It was a real joy to follow his footsteps, from his homeland, his first love and his relationships to his friends to the tasks he'd need to fulfill to forge new alliances.
In a way, these trials almost appeared similar to the Labours of Hercules, and somehow that comparison isn't so far off, for, as Warhammer fans already know all too well, Sigmar would eventually join the Gods in their pantheon - at least that is what the descendents of the Empire believe.

At the end of the day, I really regretted not having read this one much sooner - and I had this one on my shelf since January 2009! If it wasn't for other books on my list, I'd have picked up the sequel, Empire, immediately after finishing Heldenhammer. Alas, this will have to wait for another day.
In my opinion, Graham has pulled the right strings with Heldenhammer. There's been enough foreshadowing and promise for the rest of the trilogy to utilize, and if you trust the David Gemmel Legend Award 2010 McNeill earned with Empire, it is only going to get better from here on.

Next up for me will be Blood Reaver and most likely Atlas Infernal, but I am already looking forward to the rest of the Legend of Sigmar. If I got you interested, keep an eye open for the Omnibus edition coming this August!

Heldenhammer on the Black Library Website

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