Available at Amazon.com

Fear The Alien, Edited by Christian Dunn
Black Library Publishing, 416 pages
Advance Reader Copy

The Imperium of Man has many enemies among the stars, but none are reviled so much as the alien. Dangerous races seek to destroy humanity wherever they turn –the brutish orks, the ravening hordes of the tyranid, the unrelenting necrons and the mysterious forces of the tau and the eldar. Across the universe, humanity and their defenders, the Space Marines, seek to eradicate these xenos threats. Yet all they can hope for is another day of survival – for to stand against the alien is to enter an unending war… Featuring stories by Dan Abnett, Aaron Dembski-Bowden, Nick Kyme, Juliet McKenna, C.L. Werner and many more, Fear the Alien is an unmissable collection for fans of Warhammer 40,000 and military science fiction.
- BlackLibrary.com

Review:

Gardens of Tycho by Dan Abnett
A fun shift from the norm: Abnett weaves a detective story in to the 40 ‘verse and does so nicely. Again Dan Abnett shows why he’s easily one of the best authors in the BL stable. I loved the characters, especially the protagonist who is very dissimilar to many of Abnett’s other protagonists.
4 Stars

Fear Itself by Juliet E. McKenna
A very strong tale of Guardsmen awaiting relief from a unit of Space Marines in the midst of a Tyranid invasion. Very gritty and very true in feel to the whole 40k “grim, dark future”. Where many authors tend to save the good guys in the end, McKenna does a fine job in portraying the “holding on in the face of hopelessness” that is so very 40k.
4 Stars

Prometheus Requiem by Nick Kyme, a companion story to the Tome of Fire trilogy
Fantastic characterization! I loaned out Salamander by Nick Kyme and it never returned home, so I didn’t end up reading it. After this, I went and bought it at Barnes and Noble so I could catch up.
4 Stars

Mistress Baeda’s Gift by Braden Campbell
I admit it, I groaned when I saw this was a Dark Eldar story. DE tend to be so over the top evil it is hard to empathize with them. They aren’t really very sympathetic characters. So I started out and I was very surprised. Braden Campbell does a fine job in telling a kind of Dark Eldar fable, complete with the moral at the end of the story. Well played!
3 Stars

Iron Inferno by C.L. Werner
Iron Inferno is a story told from two sides of the same fight: Imperial Guardsmen and Orks. Orkyness is fun, but gets old fast, but CL Werner does a fine job in making it readable. I loved how he delved in to what both sides were thinking, and as the reader getting a laugh, seeing that they were both very wrong.
3 Stars

Sanctified by Mark Clapham
This is an interesting take on an Ad Mech “John McClaine” taking on some invading Dark Eldar. It’s easy to forget just how massive some of these ships are, and how nobody really knows what is going on in every nook and cranny.
3 Stars

Faces by Matt Farrer
I didn’t realize until the last part of this short story that this was a [REDACTED] story. Honestly, “listening” to the weird madness that gripped the humans in this, I was largely lost until it all came together in the final several pages.
2 stars.

Unity by James Gilmer
This is a fantastic telling of a few guardsmen and a Raven Guard astartes on the run on a world lost to the Tau Empire. This is probably one of the best depictions of the Tau and the author does a fine job in making the reader guess how it all will end.
4 Stars

The Core by Aaron Dembski-Bowden, a companion story to the Night Lords trilogy
I know a lot of folks have been anxiously awaiting this one, and it is worth the wait. Every taste of the Night Lords trilogy, whether a whole novel or short story is a tasty morsel.
4 Stars

Ambition Knows No Bounds by Andy Hoare
A fine tale of a Rogue Trader who delves in to things far beyond their pay-grade. Rogue Trader plus Alien Artifacts plus Greed …do the math. A fine intro for anyone considering playing Rogue Trader.
3 Stars

Rating: A very solid anthology of Xenos devilry. I don’t recognize some of these author’s names, but these were all excellent: I’d love to see more by them.

3.4 out of 5 Stars

Review by Jeff Preston

Related posts:

1. Nemesis Fiction Review
2. Path of the Warrior Review
3. Shadow King Fiction Review

Available at Amazon.com

Sword of Justice by Chris Wraight
Black Library Publishing
414 pages

Fresh from the slaughter of the Emperor’s enemies in the north, Ludwig Schwarzhelm, Emperor’s Champion, is sent to Averland to oversee the inauguration of a new elector count. Beset by greenskins, and hampered on all sides by the ambitions of rival magnates, he is soon fighting to keep the fractious province together. But the rot runs deep. Powerful forces in Altdorf seem determined to see him fail, and suspicion falls on even his most trusted allies. When all is at its bleakest, the mark of Chaos and the full horror of his task is finally revealed. Alone, doubted by those closest to him, this will be Schwarzhelm’s greatest ever challenge, one on which the destiny of the Empire itself depends.

Review:

Sword of Justice is the opener for the Warhammer Heroes series of novels featuring the Emperor’s Champion Ludwig Schwarzhelm. The novel starts out with a bang and really never lets up. Short of spoiling the novel I’ll say that like many stories set in the Warhammer universe, the opening scene revolves around a battle. This is handled in a very deft manner showcasing some pretty ordinary, grunt-level characters that grow in to something more as well as some characters that we know little about, but grow to really admire as the story goes on.

One thing I have to point out is the superb manner in which the author describes the characters, the scenes and how the characters are …human. One thing that I feel sets a good novel apart from a great one is having characters that are fallible, that make mistakes; especially when we see them coming and even when we don’t. I loathe Mary Sue characters, Golden Child characters, “the Chosen One” who really is a superhero in all but the cape…usually. Putting it mildly, the characters in this novel are all flawed in one way or another.

Another thing that sets this apart from other good novels is that we see some of the plot coming, and knowing the characters aren’t omnipotent, they blunder in to things. Not stupidly (or overly so) but in ways that any of us would. Add to this Chris Wraight throws us a few curves – nicely handled ones, I must say. Not in the M. Night Shyamalan velveeta-kind of way, but in a well thought out way that we stub our toe on…look down and realize we just lost a foot-kind of way.

There are some fun twists and exceptional descriptions of the setting. Actually, the description of the empire from top to bottom is the best I’ve seen yet; especially those of Altdorf and the other main cities. Brilliant! The descriptions throughout were really well done. From the thought blurbs, to scents, sights, all the senses were covered without seeming overworked or trite.

Cover art: Wow. Cheoljoo Lee really pained a fantastic cover piece. It would make a beautiful poster. Man, it really is gorgeous. Well done!

There is a map at the beginning: good. I always like a map so I can keep an idea of where things are but there is no “Cast of Characters”. It’s a fairly good sized cast and it can be a bit confusing. Thankfully the main characters are pretty distinct.

I have to admit; I’ve fallen in love with the characters, and added their figures to my GW wishlist. Now I need to work on my Empire guys. I’m painting up some Reiksguard and Averlander troops! DAMN!

Rating:

Just…wow. Blew my doors off. I’m anxiously awaiting the next book in the series!

4.5 out of 5 Stars.

Review by Jeff Preston

Related posts:

1. The Snow Queen’s Shadow Fiction Review
2. Nemesis Fiction Review
3. Shadow King Fiction Review

Available at Amazon.com

Details:
Deathwatch RPG
Fantasy Flight Games
400 pages

Description:
As a Deathwatch Space Marine you have been selected as an exceptional candidate from amongst the warriors of your primary chapter, to bring your unique talents and abilities to the fight at the furthest fringes of Imperial space. United in this newly forged brotherhood, all Deathwatch Space Marines must learn to put aside their differences and work together to succeed in the most extraordinary of missions — or face the threat of total annihilation when confronted by implacable alien foes. – Excerpt from http://www.fantasyflightgames.com

Review:
This is it, what many of us have been waiting for since the 1980’s: an RPG where we get to play Space Marines! A few years ago when we received word of the development of Dark Heresy, the geek world exploded with excitement. Having a Warhammer 40,000 RPG was something I think we all wanted. An official one, not just something we cobbled together in Mutants and Masterminds, but something officially sanctioned by the hallowed halls of Games Workshop. Dark Heresy was a dream come true.

One thing I appreciated with Dark Heresy, is that it kept the core mechanics of the existing Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (basically a percentage-based system with talents and careers, and an advancement scheme for leveling). This has remained true all the way through the Warhammer 40,000 Roleplay series.

I think that having a core set of mechanics that we get used to, and doesn’t change makes it easier for us to understand and ultimately set it aside for a more immersive experience while roleplaying. Dark Heresy absolutely nailed the dark vibe with fragile characters on the low end of the totem-pole of the Inquisition food-chain. Rogue Trader did a fine job in capturing the space-faring angle and now we have Deathwatch to capture the brutal and bloody end to many of the very worst of antagonists.

Rogue Trader and Deathwatch truly owe a huge debt to the developers of Dark Heresy who really built the template for things to come. I think if Dark Heresy would have been anything less than a smash hit, we would have never seen Rogue Trader, much less Deathwatch. I am very pleased that the level of success has allowed Deathwatch to come to my gaming table!

So what is it?

For those versed in Warhammer 40k lore, the Deathwatch is something we all know about. For those less so up on 40k, the Deathwatch is a secret organization tied to the Ordo Xenos, a branch of the Holy Inquisition of the Imperium of Man. Made up the crème of the Space Marine crop they are sent in for the most brutal missions: when subtlety is largely unnecessary and a hive needs to be burned out, a genestealer cult eradicated, securing an Eldar artifact, executing a Tau Ethereal, rescuing an Inquisitor Lord from the clutches of vile aliens…when the mission MUST NOT FAIL, they send in a Deathwatch Kill-Team.

Space Marines are a varied lot. Each one a bio-engineered superman encased in the best armor, equipped with the best weapons and hypno-indoctrinated to be as loyal and fearless as a living being can be. Each “Chapter” of Space Marines has their own way of doing things and being steeped in traditions in a very much “Dark Age” of technology, they are all vastly different in how they act, believe, reason and interact with other Space Marines and humanity as a whole. Aside from a common set of guidelines in the Codex Astartes (which some revere as a holy text or largely ignore in favor of their own traditions) the only thing that binds these Chapters together is a common goal of defense of the Imperium. A task they all do in their own unique way.

When called upon to be “Seconded” to the Deathwatch, they must learn to work together as a team. Each of the new Deathwatch members is a veteran performer in their Chapter. Already a hero of legend by any account. The missions they undertake are the most dangerous. Suicide missions by any other description. Truly they would be suicidal if undertaken by any other force in the Imperium’s arsenal. The members of a Deathwatch Kill-Team resemble Jason and the Argonauts in the same way “normal” Space Marines resemble the 300 Spartans of Thermopylae.

A quote I heard this past weekend was that as Dark Heresy resembles a Call of Cthulhu game set in the 40k ‘verse, Rogue Trader resembles Traveller and Deathwatch resembles Dungeons and Dragons. I think this is particularly apt. Each of these games really snags a piece of the Roleplaying pie and runs with it. For those wanting a dangerous investigation with less-than perfect adventurers delving in to mind-shattering secrets…Dark Heresy really shines. For exploration in to a very grim and dark universe where Bad Things ™ are literally around every corner…Rogue Trader nails it. For a game where it is time to get in, kill everything and get out with your prize intact…Deathwatch is stellar!

Add to this that the system is savvy enough to allow for a wide bit of variation within each game: Inquisition acolytes who grow in ability and power to kick ass, Explorers who can investigate or become conquerors, or big hulking supermen who can be as silent as ghosts or discreet as the need calls for it…these games can handle it!

One last bit on the trifecta of awesome is that they are all inter-operable. It is entirely possible to mix and match between games to make it what YOU want. It really doesn’t get any better than that!

What’s IN the game?

At this stage there are rules for a handful of representative Space Marine chapters: Black Templars, Blood Angels, Ultramarines, Dark Angels, Storm Wardens and Space Wolves. Rules for representing other Chapters of Renown and creating custom chapters will come in a later supplement. Kind of a bummer, but expected.

The skills, traits, talents etc. all make sense and are well thought out. There are interesting rules for the history of your power armor and quirky bits on how it functions.

There is a LOT of material which long-time 40k fans, especially Space Marine aficionados may grind their teeth at: much of the material covering the making of a Space Marine, their gear, traditions, the gene-seed and explanations of implants, organization as well as history of the Imperium from the Great Crusade to present is covered in detail. This makes perfect sense as Fantasy Flight Games (and GW) want to net new customers (zealots) to the “cause”. Knowing a few long time 40k fans, I know there will be complaints as there is re-used art from Warhammer 40,000 and the Space Marine Codex. This I think would happen one way or another though as the more rabid and opinionated fans would end up complaining if dying the desert of dehydration and handed the wrong brand of distilled water.

So there is a lot of excellent material for newer players and a nice refresher for existing fans. Excellent!

FFG did a fine job with Cohesion, Solo and Squad abilities as well as the Horde Rules: a very smart way of handling the effects of armored supermen being able to cut a swathe through entire cults of mutants or swarms of lesser xenos. Emphasis is made on how Cohesion is gained or lost as well as how to get it back so the squad can work most effectively and carry out their mission, which will likely affect the entire sector. The very different personalities MUST learn to work together. By being true to their characters this will be a challenge, but this really is a very team-oriented game. The challenge is just as much about learning to operate as a single entity as completing the mission.

Rating:

Fantasy Flight Games has captured the appropriate feel of the genre and this niche of it.

Presentation- 4 of 5 The new illustrations really are stellar, though they use of a lot of existing art keeps this from being as high as it could be. It’s still nicely laid out, clear and concise. I only found a couple typos so far and thankfully it has a nice index!

Rules- 4 of 5 Very consistent with the rest of the Warhammer 40’000 Roleplay series. Percentage systems aren’t complicated and easy for newer players to get their heads around. All the current additions to the base system are well thought out.

Price- 3 of 5 Expensive. $60. Granted this is a nice book, coffee-table display kind of book but still a stretch for many gamers.

Game Play- Not Graded I have not actually played this. I’ve played the pervious games in the series, and while they have the same core mechanic, I cannot comment on the current additions more than saying it seems to work on paper. It looks brilliant, but until I roll dice in a group…I’ll withhold judgment.

3.6 out of 5 Stars.

Review by Jeff Preston

Related posts:

1. Announcing Black Crusade, a Warhammer 40k Roleplaying Game
2. Deathwatch (40k RPG) Review
3. Enforcer (Warhammer) Novel Review

Available at DriveThruComics.com

Details:
Smallville RPG by Cam Banks and Josh Roby (and Team)
Margaret Weis Productions
218 pages

Description:
Every hero has a beginning… The SMALLVILLE Roleplaying Game lets you experience all the superpowered action and coming-of-age drama of the hit show on the CW Network. Whether you’re struggling against your heritage, your humanity, or your heroic responsibility, you’ll need the support of friends and family in order to embrace your destiny. Players may choose to take on the role of Clark, Chloe, Lois, Oliver, or their own original characters in the world of SMALLVILLE.

Review:
I believe that many folks judge a product based on their experiences with it filtered through the looking glass of expectation. If we expect X and get Y, we are often upset and our reviews of it tend to reflect that. I think the expectations of the Smallville need to be straight up front else the experience will suffer. This year there are other “Supers” RPGs being released. Smallville is considerably different in favor from the others in focus and vibe.

To get an idea of what the Smallville RPG is about consider the tele-drama it is based upon: young adults and all the weird social issues young people have. Add to these a variety of secrets and plots surrounding exceptional people and you almost have it. Make those exceptional people super-human…and it hits the mark.

While super heroes and super powers are a factor, I think it’s safe to say that they are flavor and useful as tools to deal with social issues and complications rather than the fix-all. This isn’t Mutants and Masterminds, Champions or DC Adventures. Those games all have an audience and fill a particular niche for people who love supers. This game, Smallville fills an altogether untapped area: largely social interactions, social issues, and interpersonal relations…on the backdrop of a version of the DC Universe.

Having played the game, it plays smoothly. The very base of the game is the backbone of the Cortex system. Have a handful of bits to use like Attributes, Skills, Traits etc…. all rated by die types. Rolls some dice, keep the best couple beat a target number. Pretty standard Cortex fare. Here’s the difference: The focus of many of these traits are split up in to very important sections like Resources, Drives, Values, Relationships, Distinctions, Gear…all sorts of things that really define the character, based often on statements like “Defend Tess” or “Keep my secret identity from Lois” etc. The Watchtower (GM) also has access to a pool of complications which are there to make things fun and challenging for the PCs.

As always there are Plot points to be used. Again Cortex proves to be a very characterful system that takes a very simple core mechanic and adds real character flavor to it.

It becomes apparent that while the core mechanic of Cortex is the same (and is largely the same in every iteration/ licensed product) it is tweaked and catered to fit the distinct vibe of the material presented. Just as the Supernatural RPG make you want to listen to classic rock and drive a hot-rod to the scene of a haunting so you can sort out the problem with thoughtful application of salt, fire and Solomon’s Seal…Smallville feels like playing a 20’something in the show, making trouble for Lex, looking out for your buddies and keeping your secrets safe from prying eyes…while probably saving the city at the same time.

There is a lot of fun material on Character Pathways which make it super simple to grow the characters (this is a sort of “coming of age” show/game). As expected, the game plays out in episodic fashion. Just like the TV show. Seasons, plots and story arcs, leads, extras, etc. It really works. The characters sheets for the major TV show characters Clark Kent are simple, easy to read and simple to use as an example when it comes to making up a character for yourself.

Great info is included on how to play as the Watchtower: frame scenes and really get the most out of all the nifty traits and complications. There’s even info on playing a game online. Towards the end is a wealth of info on the series from characters, places, an episode guide, really…everything someone would need to make a campaign fit in to the Smallville mini-universe.

Do want to add some dark elements your game? The DC universe certainly has darker versions of the characters. Alternate universes. The Smallville tv series even has versions of Doomsday and Zod in later seasons. Using the Cortex System it is super-easy to tie in a variety of nifty dark bits and make the tale more grim. Alter the setting and change the flavor of those interactions from upbeat and chipper to more of a survival-thing. Completely doable! If you already have MWP RPGs around, then adding additional bits from Supernatural for example would be cake. Filing the serial numbers off other Cortex releases would be cake.

Coming back to where we started, what are you looking for?

If you’re interested in an RPG that really focuses on the social dynamics of a small group of young adults coming in to their own…then this is the game for you. No doubt. Love the show? This is the one? Want to play a game that plays out like the show, with the same flavor, same feel, same vibe…this is THE game for you.

If you are interested in superheroes fighting stuff, leveling up, detailed effects and powers…you may want to look elsewhere. There are games built for everyone and a wide variety of tastes. This game is more geared towards telling a story and giving a very particular feel to it…which it does in spades! It is NOT a replacement for folks in to Champions or Mutants and Masterminds…unless you feel that they aren’t spinning you up on the social aspect.

I think if do so some shopping around and pick the game for you and the game you want is true to the core material, the Smallville tele-drama…there is no other choice. The Smallville RPG delivers!

Rating:
Very dependent on your expectations. If you want a standard “Supers” RPG fare, roll dice, beat up guys, beat the bad guy and level up…this is NOT for you.

If you want episodic play and a story that works out like the show…this is THE game for you.

Presentation- 4 of 5 (Largely photography from the show…makes sense as it is far closer to the Smallville TV show than say the DC Universe canon/ comics. The charts can be overwhelming.)
Rules- 5 of 5 (It hits the niche perfectly.)
Price- 3 of 5 (Kinda spendy but still par for the course)
Game Play- 4 of 5 (Can be a little awkward to get your head around if you’re not familiar with the show.)

4 out of 5 Stars.

Review by Jeff Preston

No related posts.

Available at Amazon.com

Details:

Pathfinder Tales: Prince of Wolves by Dave Gross
Paizo Publishing, 262 pages
Advance Reader Copy

Description:

For half-elven Pathfinder Varian Jeggare and his devil-blooded bodyguard Radovan, things are rarely as they seem. Yet not even the notorious crime-solving duo is prepared for what they find when a search for a missing Pathfinder takes them into the gothic and mist-shrouded mountains of Ustalav. Beset on all sides by noble intrigue, mysterious locals, and the deadly creatures of the night, Varian and Radovan must use both sword and spell to track the strange rumors to their source and uncover a secret of unimaginable proportions, aided in their quest by a pack of sinister werewolves and a mysterious mute priestess. But it’ll take more than merely solving the mystery to finish this job. For shadowy figures have taken note of the pair’s investigations, and the forces of darkness are set on making sure neither man gets out of Ustalav alive…

Review:

The Pathfinder Tales are a series of novels set in the fantastic new Pathfinder RPG setting. Having read several tie-in novels for a wide variety of settings/ games I was excited to give this a shot. I think my excitement was well placed; the novel is a lot of fun and a fantastic “first look” in to rich Pathfinder setting.

The author does something we see little of these days (it seems) in utilizing the first-person perspective. Admittedly it took a chapter or so to warm up to it, but it seemed to really work. The first person perspective makes the events of the story seem a bit more personal and the author did a fine job in making some really interesting characters.

Characterization, or rather a lack of it is one of my pet peeves. If a character is in the novel, especially a protagonist/ antagonist I want to feel something for them. I want to understand why: get in their head a bit. There is an expectation of the author having strings to pull on the reader, and Dave Gross takes advantage of that nicely.

I can honestly admit, I really liked Varian and Radovan. Their faults and errors in judgment, awkward feelings, missteps make them feel real…and I’m a sucker for real-feeling characters. It makes me as a reader sympathetic. I admit it, I was hooked.

The setting itself is described nicely. I know every says “show don’t tell” but to be honest, a bit of it is reasonable in this case as it is really the first glimpse many folks will see of the setting. A bit of exposition is understandable. Actually, I wish the story was longer so I could absorb more of the setting, but there will be more novels, so I’ll be sated later. The novel feels like a “taste” of a much bigger world.

The cover art is well done. Well suited to the genre. Dan Scott did a very fine job and the visual presentation works nicely!

Since I have an ARC (advance reader copy) I don’t know if any changes will be made to the final version that ships to the stores. If I could make a recommendation, I’d put a good map up front and maybe a “cast of characters” as well for easy reference.

In summary, Dave Gross does a wonderful job in telling a compelling story with characters that are rich and colorful. The plot unfolds in unexpected ways (bonus!) and doesn’t resort to lame gimmicks: it’s just a damn good tale.

Rating:

A very impressive opener! I can’t wait to read more Pathfinder Tales! Now I’m anxious to do some gaming in the setting: explore further.

Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

Review by Jeff Preston

Related posts:

1. An Interview with Pathfinder Author Dave Gross
2. Behind Plague of Shadows, a Pathfinder Novel
3. 30 Haunts for Houses (Pathfinder) Review

Available at Amazon.com

Nemesis by James Swallow
Black Library, 2010
Novel

After the horrors of Istvaan V, Horus declares outright war against the Imperium. In the shadows of the Emperor’s Palace, powerful figures convene. Their plan is to send a team of assassins to execute the arch-traitor Horus and end the war for the galaxy of mankind before it has even begun. But what they cannot know is that another assassin is abroad already, with his sights firmly set on killing the Emperor.

The Officio Assassinorum: we’ve been waiting on something like this for decades, and James Swallow delivers it. As expected it involves scheming at the top levels of the Imperium in order to end this civil war as quickly and painlessly as possible – anything to save The Emperor and his Imperium.

The main plot is simple: send a team of top-shelf assassins to kill Horus, Warmaster, Primarch, son of the living Emperor of Mankind. Simple, right? Well if we know anything about Primarchs in this setting, it’s that they are demigods. Demigods surrounded by legions of genetically engineered super-men packing state of the art hardware. Assassins have tried and failed in the past. We get to see each of the major enclaves (or Clades as they are called here) of assassins at work. I have to admit, it’s awe inspiring.

Usually, having a super-powered team go on a mission is a pretty weak premise. I mean…they are all pretty uber. They represent the best of the best of the best, sir! With honours sir! The saving grace of the main plot is that they are also up against a foe which is for all intents and purposes…untouchable.

There is a secondary plot as well, which is a kind of cop story – a murder scene investigation gone wrong. It’s actually well thought-out and feels like a bit of CSI ala 40k at first (which is cool I think). Something is murdering citizens of Iesta Veracruz in a particularly horrific way and they can’t figure it out. Add to this cults like the Theoge etc. and you have a pretty nifty murder mystery going on.

I don’t want to give away too much or spoil it, but it’s very interesting the way Mr. Swallow tied it all together. He also nicely tied in elements of the period such as the growing Cult of the Emperor, true believers, elements of the Imperium that pull the strings and what makes them tick as well as plotters within Horus’ coterie. There are moments where you have to re-read sections but this is to be expected: this is a spymaster kind of novel, not really a battlefield novel. The plots are deep and you can’t expect to see it all coming. There is a fine line between keeping the story tight and deep and dumbing it down so it becomes trite and pointless. James Swallow does a fine job in treading carefully and weaves a fine spy thriller steeped in 40k (30k?) lore.

I have to admit that occasionally I got confused on who was who: I think the “Dramatis Personae” section should be almost mandatory in novels with large casts. I’m so thankful for the Horus Heresy series using them every time. Black Library, please take note!

It was really interesting to get in to the heads of the characters. James Swallow did a fine job in delving in to the minds of the main characters (for the most part). What makes a man (or woman) become an assassin? How do they cope with it all? How do they become so indoctrinated and loyal? Can they really be trusted? At what point do they lose their humanity? We get a glimpse inside the noggin of seasoned operators from each of the Clades we all know and love (and some minor ones I hadn’t heard of). I have to admit that the names of the Clades get confusing after a while. In 40k lore, it all makes perfect sense, but after reading and seeing the names so often, it starts to blur.¹ Vindicare is easy, but Venenum and Vanus…ummm, which is which? Even after it is straight in my head I second guess myself.

Kell the Vindicare is the protagonist and he’s a pretty rich character. I really liked him even though he’s pretty messed up. Koyne the Callidus and Iota the Culexus were very cool as well. Iota in particular was really interesting; I wish we had more of her.

For those into roleplaying games, this novel will certainly have an appeal. It certainly shows how a team of skilled operators tackle a tough obstacle. Granted, these operators are at the very top of their fields. Fans of Rogue Trader and Dark Heresy will dig this one a lot. Fans of murder mysteries will dig it as well. I think your general fan of the Warhammer 40k ‘verse won’t get as much from it and the subtlety may be a bit lost on them — not having lots of big battles, and lots of bolter-blasting and slashy death.

Overall I enjoyed the novel. It didn’t catch me by the horns and drag me through a long night of hell, depositing me spent at 4am… but it was a fine read and a worthy addition to the Horus Heresy series.

3.5 out of 5 Stars.

¹None of this has to do with the author; it’s just 40k lore and similar names causing confusion.

Review by Jeff Preston

Related posts:

1. Touch of Frost Fiction Review
2. The Eternal Prison Fiction Review
3. Sword of Justice Fiction Review

Available at Amazon.com

Warhammer 40,000: Path of the Warrior, by Gav Thorpe
Black Library Publishing, 2010
Novel, 409 pages
Advance Review Copy

The ancient eldar are a mysterious race, each devoting their life to a chosen path which will guide their actions and decide their fate. Korlandril abandons peace for the Path of the Warrior. He becomes a Striking Scorpion, a deadly fighter skilled in the art of close-quarter combat. But the further Korlandril travels down this path, the closer he gets to losing his identity and becoming an avatar of war.

Path of the Warrior is the first of a new trilogy focusing on the race of Eldar. This is interesting in one respect as the Black Library for ages chose to avoid such novels, wanting to keep the alien races…alien. We’re all human, and the xenos races of the 40k universe should remain so. This presents a challenge for any Black Library writer as they need to delve in to what it is like to be one of these strange characters. Over the past few years there have been other novels presenting various xenos races as protagonist: Fire Warrior (40k), Defenders of Ulthuan (fantasy), Gilead’s Blood (fantasy), Malekith (fantasy), Shadow King (fantasy) etc. Also several novels have had alien races as sympathetic characters if not the protagonist: Guardians of the Forest (fantasy) as well as several others where humans are the main focus, but xenos races get some spotlight time and we get a glimpse in to their psyche.

Path of the Warrior is the first time I’ve seen a full-fledged delve in to a xenos race. A real glimpse of life as an alien. The question becomes can the author make us believe it. Can we delve in to the psyche of a race that is completely alien, make us feel for it, yet keep a sort of awe at the race and characters as being completely foreign to us…maintain that feeling of alienness?

Gav Thorpe steps up to the plate and smashes the ball out of the park!

The story is about a young Eldar named Korlandril who is a bit of a fop, a nancy boy. The story follows him as he deals with some issues that are pretty common to anyone: something we can all appreciate and his eventual trail toward the Path of the Warrior. Once on this path we see some pretty brilliant illustration of how the paths work, what brings the various personality types to the various Aspect Warrior shrines. Mr. Thorpe does an amazing job of illuminating how the Eldar really work: the nuts and bolts of what makes this race tick. They really ARE different. They think, observe, communicate and feel on so many diverse levels, and the author really brings this out in a manner we can understand. The Eldar are incredibly deep.

The novel is not packed to the gills with battles. Honestly, this is much more of a “thinker” novel than anything Gav Thorpe has written. This kind of “thinker” style is something I’ve come to expect from Graham McNeill and others, but Gav Thorpe I think really flexes his writing muscles and expands in to new territory. It’s pretty brilliant.

I will admit that some of the shifts in perspective, and shifts in time between the present and flashbacks of the past are jarring. I don’t think this is necessarily on the author as much as the editor: these could have been broken up better by an extra break or different formatting. There are a lot of flashbacks, which some folks may find jarring, especially since they are often in-line, one para to the next you jump from one POV to another. There were a few instances where we see the same scene from two different views. Again I think if these were broken up via formatting differently it would be easier to follow. As it stood I had to stop and go back a few times, re-read the section to realize what the hell was going on. I will admit that with the Eldar being such a contemplative race it works easier than I think it would otherwise.

The cover art is by Neil Roberts and it is fantastic. Very crisp and stark. A perfect fit. I want a poster of this!

Overall it is a damn fine novel and absolutely essential reading if you are even remotely interested in the Eldar. The author takes us into a few big battles, including one that is Craftworld-scale, including a lot of big names. It’s amazing to see how a Craftworld goes to war. If you play Warhammer 40k and field Eldar, this book should be read before you assemble and paint one figure. If you want to know what the Eldar are really like…you can’t pass this book up. Even if you aren’t so in to Eldar, it’s a smashing good read.

Rating:
Fantastic novel, rich in every way. No other novel to date has captured the overall vibe of the Eldar race in such a perfect way. If it weren’t for some formatting oddities in the shifting of POV and flashbacks, this would have been a perfect 5 of 5. Even with the bit of weirdness, it’s a damn brilliant read. Gav Thorpe is getting better and better! Buy this book — you will not be sorry! I’m such a nerd I’m going to name all my Exarch minis and create shrine names for the Aspect Warriors. I need some more Striking Scorpions!

4 out of 5 Stars.

Review by Jeff Preston

Related posts:

1. Enforcer (Warhammer) Novel Review
2. Redemption Corps Review
3. Nemesis Fiction Review

Available at Amazon.com

Description:
Passed over to succeed as king, elf general Malekith is wracked by jealousy and bitterness. Under the pretense of rooting out the pernicious cult of pleasure that is corrupting elf society from within, Malekith plots his revenge. When he betrays Phoenix King Bel-Shanaar and attempts to seize power for himself, Malekith triggers a tragic sequence of events that plunges the realm of the elves into a civil war from which they will never recover. Malekith begins the epic tale of the Sundering by Gav Thorpe, and continues the Time of Legends series.

Review:
Usually I review advance copies from BL, but this one I went and bought because I missed it previously and enjoyed The Shadow King, part 2 of The Sundering.
The subject of this novel poses an interesting problem – a challenge for the author as well as the reader, I found. For those unfamiliar with Warhammer lore, Malekith is a very dark character. Son of the Uber High Elf king Aenarion – who was at once great and terrible due to his drawing of the Sword of Khaine – Malekith is destined to become THE ultimate villain for the race of elves for millennia to come (along with his twisted mother Morathi). Knowing this the author has to tell a tale we will read. To do that, we have to somewhat sympathize with the main character; this is a tall order.

It is even harder considering that the prince Malekith is raised in the Shadow of his father and under the tutelage of his mother, trained from birth to bear a sword and one day be a king. Encouraged at every step to be proud of who he is and have a firm belief that he will be the heir to the Phoenix Throne. Let’s be honest; Malekith is not a sympathetic character. He’s pretty much an arrogant bastard. As we all know from reading the back flap, Malekith is passed over and Bel-Shanaar is chosen as Phoenix King.

Frankly, the story was a bit hard to get into — the first hundred pages took a bit of warming up to. Thankfully Mr. Thorpe has taken a character from an Army Book for a Miniatures War-game, and turned it in to a real living, breathing, believable character. I say believable because you can see what’s happening, know what is coming, and it makes sense in a coherent way that while fantastic, is consistent with the setting.

We get to see the young firebrand elf – full of himself – become tempered through interaction in the lands outside Ulthuan. You have to realize that this story is akin to the Silmarillion in many ways; in the Warhammer universe Elves long pre-date mankind: man is largely crawling out of mud huts at the time Malekith leaves Ulthuan. Dwarves are a young race and within living memory of their ancestor gods. Elves are almost like walking gods on the field, with armor, magic and weapons that legends are made of. This is really what the core of the whole Time of Legends series is about, and it does well.

One thing that Gav Thorpe has down to a science is the telling of a dark tale. I don’t know of any other Black Library author who really has the pulse of “The Uber Dark” like him. Gav tells a grim tale well and doesn’t need blood spatter, gore or shock value to get there. Granted, the cultists of Khaine and the pleasure cults are depicted well, but I think tastefully and not over-gratuitously (as I have seen in some depictions). One of the things that really sets the Warhammer Fantasy and Warhammer 40k settings apart is the unique DARKNESS of it. Maybe it’s a very British thing, built upon the darkness of the late 20th century. Maybe not. I know that it is one of the things that makes Warhammer unique, special, and Mr. Thorpe has it by the balls.

In the telling of Malekith, the reader rides the wave of the story, loathing the princeling, hoping for change, seeing him become wiser, understanding how he was raised, learning to sympathize with him and really hope he turns it around: hoping to blame someone else for his fall… which is inevitable. I hoped to blame the taint of chaos, his most wicked mother, the cults, the gods themselves. I wanted him to be redeemed and have his fall be due to an outside force. The ultimate failing the reader has to discover for themselves.

Again we as readers get to “see” beautiful vistas, magnificent epic battles of massive hosts of elves, and magical beasts. It’s truly awe-inspiring. It’s also nice to get to see the cast of characters really fleshed out. High King Snorri Whitebeard, Bel-Shanaar, Tethlis as well as characters that recur in The Shadow King (with which it dove-tails together perfectly).

Rating:
Starts a bit slow but makes up for it in the end. Think of it as a Warhammer-verse retelling of Star Wars Episode III sans the horrible George Lucas dialog/writing. (Actually, as I think about it, I’d love to see Ep. III redone by Gav Thorpe: now THAT would be brilliant!)

4 out of 5 Stars.

Review by Jeff Preston

Related posts:

1. Bloodborn Review
2. Brunner The Bounty Hunter: Omnibus edition Review
3. Path of the Warrior Review

Available at Amazon.com

The Chapter’s Due by Graham McNeill
Black Library Publishing, 320 pages
*This is an advance review copy.

War is unending in the life of a Space Marine. After defeating Tau forces, Captain Uriel Ventris of the Ultramarines has returned to the Chapter’s homeworld of Macragge, but there is little respite. The Ultramarines are thrust back into battle, and this time the enemy is the Chapter’s greatest nemesis. The traitorous Iron Warriors, led by renegade Warsmith Honsou, have gathered together a massive and brutal warband. Their target is the realm of Ultramar. Their objective is total annihilation. It is a final showdown between legendary Space Marines, and Uriel Ventris must take on the might of Honsou if he is to save his Chapter’s homeworld.

The Chapter’s Due is the culmination of several interesting plots, distinct groups of protagonists/antagonists and a second trilogy of Ultramarines goodness. All sorts of fans of the Warhammer 40,000 universe will love this novel because there is something in it for everyone. Most obviously fans of the Ultramarines will get the most out of it, but so will fans of the Adeptus Mechanicus, Raven Guard, Inquisition, and of course Iron Warriors.

Without spoiling the story, let it suffice to say that the scale is epic. Honsou brings the war to Ultramar in the largest gathering of Iron Warriors, xenos mercenaries, traitors and a whole metric boat-load of daemons since the Horus Heresy.

Think of it in these terms: the Ultramarines symbolize a sort of “by the book” style of fighting – literally. Granted, it’s a big book that covers everything in the sphere of warfare, but ultimately it equals predictability. The realm of Ultramar is “THE” bastion of the Ultramarines. Outside of Terra itself it is the single largest fixed fortification in the universe.

Chaos Space Marines represent…Chaos, obviously. Super-soldiers bred for furious assaults and who know no fear; angels of death regardless of which side of the traitor/loyalist line they are on. The Iron Warriors even more so; as masters of siege warfare they are a completely unpredictable foe. It’s the classic Irresistible force versus the Immovable object struggle.

So now the stage is set; the Ordo Malleus arrives to deal with the warp-spawned daemonic incursion. The Raven Guard arrive as well (and oh boy, they are portrayed nicely); the Adeptus Mechanicus plays a crucial part – Honsou has Dark Mechanicus with him.

It is nice to see the cast of characters chock-full of big names, as well as seeing the Ultramarines fighting on their back foot – off balance and dealing with something that very seriously threatens the entire chapter. I’ve discussed this in several reviews, and there’s no sign of stopping: I LOVE it when the characters are in real peril. I really love the author to scare me. Build up characters, make me love them…and then hurt them, scare me with the threat of their demise. Make me want those characters to survive. I thrive on the slaughter of sacred cows. I want to laugh and cry, get choked up and pissed off. I want an investment in the books I read, and I go on the assumption that everyone else does too. Graham McNeill does a fine job of beating up many sacred cows in The Chapter’s Due.

There are many moments in the story where as a reader you never really know if this is the last ride of Uriel Ventris, Pasanius, Learchus, or Marneus Calgar or Varro Tigurius for that matter.

I have to admit that the story does start a bit slowly. The first quarter of the book took me a couple days to get through (which is rare considering I can burn through 300 pages in a night). One problem with books about massive battles is that…battles all start to sound the same. Yep, slash, stab, shoot, spurt, “Courage and Honour!” splat, “Death to the False Emperor!” entrails, bolt-casings, yadda-yadda, yawn. McNeill does a fine job in breaking it up, and keeping the reader coming back for more. I never lost interest – actually the story got better and better as it rolled on.

The last three quarters of the novel I absorbed in one night. A nice analogy would be in the film The Matrix Revolutions, with the APU units fighting in The Docks against the swarms of sentinels: the first part things looked fine. Yeah, toasting lots of bad-guys, carnage, APUs kicking ass. The sentinels were simply probing, whittling them down until the end it was simply too much.

The Ultramarines did much the same. They started off strong; they have the uber-bastion of defense in their favor. The Iron Warriors however tested, prodded and showed why they are superior in siege assaults and the futility of static defenses.

The characterization of the antagonists (and protagonists) really made the story pop. You get to sympathize with The Newborn and Vaanes and think of some Ultramarines as arrogant pricks. You can’t help but admire both sides. THAT really is what sets Graham McNeill’s writing ahead of the pack.

Overall it’s a very good book: surpassing Courage and Honour and on par with The Killing Ground as well as a fine summary of the story arc. Even with a hint of slowness at the start it finishes strong and left me wanting to assemble and paint more Ultramarines. Thanks Mr. McNeill!

4 out of 5 Stars.

Review by Jeff Preston

Related posts:

1. Path of the Warrior Review
2. Call to Arms (Warhammer) Review
3. Soul Hunter Book Review

Available at Amazon.com

When the world of Armageddon is attacked by orks, the Black Templars Space Marine Chapter are amongst those sent to liberate it. Chaplain Grimaldus and a band of Black Templars are charged with the defence of Hive Helsreach from the xenos invaders in one of the many battlezones. But as the orks numbers grow and the Space Marines dwindle, Grimaldus faces a desperate last stand in an Imperial temple. Determined to sell their lives dearly, will the Black Templars hold on long enough to be reinforced, or will their sacrifice ultimately be in vain.
- Black Library.com

While I am familiar on a basic level with the Black Templars I don’t know all the details of the major characters, so walking in to this novel I’m almost a BT newbie.

In a lot of ways, Black Templars are the epitome of what many folks consider Space Marines – borderline psychopathic, bio-engineered supermen who kill in the name of the crusade and the Emperor. Period, full stop. Have no doubts boys and girls, these guys are bastards. The comparison scenes with the Salamanders Chapter was telling: the Salamanders are one of the most humane of chapters – protecting the citizens is kept firmly in mind. For the Black Templars, its going off to kill stuff and why are these damn civilians in the way?!? Grimaldus is pretty much the worst and the best of these. His detachment is telling; you can see how a person has been altered in such a way that they are really no longer human anymore – driven by hatred and zeal few of us can imagine to destroy the xenos invaders.

I do exaggerate a bit, but Aaron Dembski-Bowden is quickly becoming one of the Black Library’s best authors of characterful fiction. Like Soul Hunter before this, the characters are all very colorful, and come from a variety of backgrounds. Each seems like a person dealing with a lifetime of war, indoctrination, mind-scrubbing…and war. Dembski-Bowden does a fine job of taking the reader and tossing him right in the middle of a firefight or burning vehicle. He even makes Chaplain Grimaldus interesting. Now THAT is a feat! You’d think that a character like that would be boring, two dimensional…flat. ADB pulls it off. He really knows how to make characters come alive on the written page.

The scale of the novel is enormous. You certainly have the feel of untold bajillions of orks bearing down on you, and that the odds of survival are grim at best. The protagonists struggle for every bit of ground they win (or lose). The odds are overwhelmingly against them yet they struggle on, battered and bruised, losing battle-brothers along the way. All hope seems lost, yet a spark of hope remains. Yeah, like that! Dembski-Bowden drags the reader all the way down in to the muck, mud and blood, takes away all hope, and slowly gives it back.

I enjoyed the Steel Legion parts as well as the Salamander bits. The Black Templars are a bit overwhelming for my tastes, but it’s a damn fine story. The ending left me almost a little flat; I’m not sure what happened there. Without spoiling too much I have no way of explaining it short of saying it was not what I expected. That’s a good thing!

Aaron Dembski-Bowden has written another gritty, dirty story full of actually interesting characters. His action scenes are largely clear, the dialogue witty, the description good. I cannot say whether there are 40k canon issues as I’m not as familiar as some other reviewers. The plot was interesting and kept me going. The ending was a bit of a twist but good.

4 of 5 Stars.

Review by Jeff Preston

Related posts:

1. Fear The Alien Anthology Review
2. Nemesis Fiction Review
3. Path of the Warrior Review

Available at Amazon.com

Dieter Lanz is a young recruit to the 3rd Hochland Swordsmen, otherwise known as ‘the Scarlets’. His regiment is called into battle when an orc army starts to rampage across the countryside, and when the Scarlets are defeated, Hochland is threatened with collapse. As a desperation measure, legendary general Ludwig Von Grahl is brought out of retirement – he is the last hope to stem the vicious green tide.

It wasn’t until I watched Star Wars, Episode One, The Phantom Menace when it dawned on me what bothered me about this novel. Well…it’s not just one thing, but it is a biggie in my estimation: I hate child prodigies. The new kid that is awesome, has elite skills and never makes a bad move or decision. Yeah. Hate him.

Why? Because I can’t relate to him. He’s a superhero. A Player Character amongst a cast of NPCs. Call to Arms is fairly entertaining but at no time was I worried about the primary protagonist. There really is only one protagonist anyhow. Everyone else seems like window dressing. I ended up pulling for Holst and Gerhardt etc. more than Dieter “Skywalker” Lang.

Don’t get me wrong, Mitchel Scanlon is a good writer. I won’t disparage the man’s skill: the scenes are nicely detailed. Some bits are very well thought out and tasty. For example the teen is accepted into the regiment in a bit of ceremony that is very cool. There are several scenes like this. This isn’t a “bad” book at all.

My issues with the story are:

First, the protagonist isn’t one I can get warmed up to. Too good – on every level; makes no mistakes. As a teen he’s hardly challenged by anything that he faces.

Second, the side-characters are under-developed. They remain fairly peripheral yet I pulled for them more than Dieter. The roles they play are pretty typical “soldier story” fare. You have the old hand that sleeps every chance he gets, the pessimist, the grizzled sergeant and dependable good captain and a couple shit-bag troopers to serve as troublemakers.

Third, the novel is generally very four-color. I think it would work great as a graphic novel or series of comics. The good guys are good and the bad guys are bad except a couple troublemakers who wear black hats. Though I admit that some Black Library authors write the same way – Dan Abnett among them – I confess my preference is for authors that are able to leave the four-color world and dig deep in to shades of grey: characters – protagonists – that are human, fallible, make mistakes, do the wrong thing and learn from it (or not). It gives them character. Makes them easier to relate to.

Lastly, aside from the earlier parts of the story I never really worried about who was going to “win”. There were very few surprises in the plot.

Again, I want to stress that the author is clearly a good writer, he can craft a scene, describe action nicely and all that. I don’t expect a batter to hit a home run every time at bat; I just feel that this novel fell a bit short.

Call to Arms was somewhat enjoyable although a bit of a chore to finish. I kept hoping for more depth all the way to the end.
2 of 5 Stars.

Review by Jeff Preston

Related posts:

1. Warhammer 40k Space Marine PS3 Review
2. Enforcer (Warhammer) Novel Review
3. Deathwatch (Warhammer RPG) Review

Available at Amazon.com

Details:
Soul Hunter by Aaron Dembski-Bowden
Black Library Publishing
411 Pages
*This is an advance copy review.

Description:
The Night Lords are one of the most feared legions of Chaos Space Marines. Remorseless hunters and killers, they relentlessly battle the Imperium of Man to avenge the death of their Primarch Konrad Curze. Their dark crusade takes them to the valuable world of Crythe Primus, where they will fight Imperial forces to claim the planet. But will the allegiance with their cohorts in the Black Legion last long enough for them to be victorious?

Review:
Previously I mentioned that I generally don’t care for Chaos Space Marine novels (see my Dark Creed review). I think it’s because I have a difficult time seeing how I’ll be able to relate to the characters. How can I root for the bad guys? Dark Creed proved me wrong on that, and since Soul Hunter came in my monthly care package from BL, I was willing to give it a shot. This is the first Aaron Dembski-Bowden book for me as well, so I was anxious to get a taste of what he brings to the table. I wasn’t let down.

Let me say that the author does an excellent job in sucking you in to the whole vibe of, well…darkness. The Night Lords are like the Batman Chapter of Traitor Marines. Darkness and fear. That’s their shtick. They really have it down pat. From the very prologue I was hooked.

The author has a real wit to his dialogue. He wraps the characters in interesting quips that are entirely defining. I could go on and on about each character, but seriously, each one definitely has a specific “voice” which is awesome; very akin to Dan Abnett in that respect. The author is also quite a tease. We don’t even know the protagonist’s name for 43 pages.

The story is good. The plot is a bit slow: I think I spent the whole novel half-holding my breath. It is very cool to see some real meat on the Night Lords and get an insight in to how the former great legions (well…all the traitor legions) have decayed. The portrayal of the relationship with the Black Legion and the Warmaster is revealing.

It appears that “Chaos Space Marine” is a very broad term. Even “Traitor Marine” is a huge generalization. These guys are all unique, which makes for an interesting story. I’m very impressed that the author does a good job at making the reader feel so…betrayed. It makes it possible for the reader to sympathize, and it really worked.

There is definitely the feeling that this book is just a prelude to something much bigger. I am assuming that this is the beginning of a series (at this point I have only this novel to go by) Still…the story plays out nicely.

It has what I consider the appropriate amount of “Grim Dark Future” of the 41st millennium. I can’t say that of a lot of Warhammer 40k fiction. Even the top dogs of the Black Library bullpen often can’t really get that perfect balance. I mean, I believe the purpose of the grim, dark future-type stories is that in the midst of a really shitty universe, where mankind is either on the edge of extinction, or under the lash of one tyrannical regime or another, it is possible to see glimmers of hope, or in this case…at least revenge. Man is powerless, small, one among untold billions…meaningless. Even demigods die an ignoble death. Yet there is something cool about one person, astartes, slave, and navigator doing something unique.

That’s what it’s all about.

Aaron Dembski-Bowden captures this.

Actually, the author would be in my mind a kind of hybrid of writing styles: Like the dark love-child of Graham McNeill and Dan Abnett. Abnett I think writes great action and characterizations, dialog. McNeill can pull off more “thinker” novels and also is strong in characterization etc. Kind of a perfect storm in writing styles really.

My only complaints are as follows:
1. A bit of slowness. Not bad. I just think some folks may notice it. I dig it, but I’m not your typical reader. It’s got a lot of action, don’t get me wrong…it just has some very contemplative bits that not everyone will fully appreciate.
2. It feels like a prelude. Not really a complaint. When I got the book I started reading it with no foreknowledge. Is it a prequel? It may be. I don’t judge books by the series; I judge the book by the book. By the end you feel like “it’s about to go off.” Maybe it’s the finally finding out that it’s a series at the end instead of at the beginning. Anyhow, totally minor quibble that really means nothing.
3. The writer is clever; maybe too clever for me. I think there were parts where something happened that I simply missed it. Like an inside joke where you’re not in the know. Still, it didn’t really detract from the story. I’m just not as versed on the Night Lords. I think that someone who is not versed in 40k lore may miss out on some of the fun.

Rating:
That’s it. Seriously, those are some minor quibbles. For my first Aaron Dembski-Bowden novel, I was pleased with the story, the vibe, and the overall entertainment value. Totally good read.

4 of 5 Stars.

Review by Jeff Preston

Related posts:

1. Brunner The Bounty Hunter: Omnibus edition Review

Available at Amazon.com

Details:
A Thousand Sons by Graham McNeill
Black Library Publishing
558 pages

Description:
Censured at the Council of Nikea for his flagrant use of sorcery, Magnus the Red and his Thousand Sons Legion retreat to their homeworld of Prospero to continue their use of the arcane arts in secret. But when the ill-fated primarch forsees the treachery of Warmaster Horus and warns the Emperor with the very powers he was forbidden to use, the Master of Mankind dispatches fellow primarch Leman Russ to attack Prospero itself. But Magnus has seen more than the betrayal of Horus and the witnessed revelations will change the fate of his fallen Legion, and its primarch, forever.

Review:
Picked up the book last evening, finished reading and turned out the light at exactly 3:33am. Coincidence?

My review? Go out and buy the book, absorb it in one sitting.

That’s it?

I have to admit that is this is a difficult book to read and review as I am forced to set aside any fanboy glee for what is my personal favorite Legion (1ksons) and the Horus Heresy novel I’ve been waiting for since the beginning. Deep breath. I’m a pro. Objectivity. GO!

WOW!

A Thousand Sons is a story about one loyal son and his Legion versus another. If you’re expecting this to be about The Thousand Sons being vile traitors…you will be surprised to say the very least.

Graham McNeill crafts a moving story about one of The Emperor of Mankind’s most loyal sons. If anything this can be considered one of the greatest tragedies of the entire Horus Heresy. I think that Magnus, like all his brother Primarchs are flawed in some way. Arrogance, hubris, pride…just like their father.

You ever have a friend or know someone who is really a genius, and every time you tell them something…they “know it”. Maybe they do, maybe not. Even if that person has the very best intentions…it’s hubris.

That is Magnus.

If anything The Thousand Sons are the most personable Legion of Astartes I’ve seen yet. They have character. They are Astartes, so they are trained and hones like any other…but free thinking. Critical thinkers who question, evaluate, and delve in to all matter of knowledge. They are extremely disciplined in their learning. Magnus? Nicest and coolest Primarch you ever met. Ahriman? Great guy, love to share a glass of wine with him and talk history.

Graham McNeill makes the Thousand Sons very inviting. Very easy to like. You really do get to like them. Camaraderie and banter better than anything I’ve seen so far from “Astartes”. Every single one completely and steadfastedly loyal to their Emperor.

“The road to hell is paved with good intentions”

I swear that could be the byline of the novel and the XV Legion itself.

The novel tends to be fairly conversational. The Thousand Sons don’t have the battle history that other Legions had. Where Russ and Lorgar tended to be largely weapons to be pointed at a target, Magnus and the Thousand Sons were considerate of the How and Why of battle. Winning hearts and minds. What is the point of conquering a place if everyone is dead? I am glad Graham McNeill was slotted for this novel because he does “conversational” well.

I don’t mean to say that the author doesn’t do action well or anything. He’s just a very thoughtful, philosophical author. Take in to consideration the short story “The Last Church” in Tales of Heresy (a short story I consider to be absolutely fantastic). The author does a fantastic job at delving in to secrets (and being a frigging TEASE). I can’t say much without spoiling things. Graham McNeill does a good job in expanding what is known about The Thousand Sons, The Emperor, the Emperyan, and the Horus Heresy and Warhammer 40,000 universe at a whole…without giving away the farm.

Quibbles? The naming conventions are flavorful, but alien to a modern day American…so I had to reference the up-front cast of characters often to avoid confusion on who’s who. What can you do though? The Legion has a pseudo-Egyptian flavor.

There are some slow spots. Sometimes frustrating spots…but then when you consider that these guys deal in prophesy, visions and interpretations of possible futures…it can be a little weird. It fits though…it’s not jarring or anything. I guess in a way you have to expect it. Maybe it was just anticipation wanting things to GO FASTER…but then we’d miss important plot points and bits of secrets. Mwahahahahah [rubbing hands together]

Like most BL novels the reader needs to understand that the books are written from a certain perspective: In this case from the perspective (largely) of Ahriman’s. The Space Wolves are wild barbaric beasts, cunning and ruthless in extremis. Almost mindless savages. Again…this is a matter of perspective. I’m interested to see what Dan Abnett does with the other half of the story.

Rating:
Overall, the story is a vast landscape of knowledge to be absorbed. There’s a lot of material here just in understanding of The Warp and how it works as a tool and just how pervasive it can be. The secret bits of Thousand Sons and Horus Heresy lore are tasty. Other secret bits of Warhammer 40,000 lore, like the Blood Ravens? Well…I’ll leave that for you to read for yourself!

4 out of 5 Stars.

Review by Jeff Preston

Related posts:

1. Nemesis Fiction Review
2. Sons of Dorn Fiction Review
3. Tales of Heresy Fiction Review

Available at Amazon.com

Details:
Crosscurrent by Paul S. Kemp
Del Rey: Random House Publishing Group
352 Pages
Final Pre-Release Proof Copy

Description:

An ancient Sith ship hurtles into the future carrying a lethal cargo that could forever destroy Luke Skywalker’s hopes for peace.

The Civil War is almost over when Jedi Knight Jaden Korr experiences a Force vision so intense he must act. Enlisting two salvage jocks and their ship, Jaden sets out into space. Someone—or something—appears to be in distress.

But what Jaden and his crew find confounds them. A five-thousand-year-old dreadnaught—bringing with it a full force of Sith and one lone Jedi—has inadvertently catapulted eons from the past into the present. The ship’s weapons may not be cutting-edge, but its cargo, a special ore that makes those who use the dark side nearly invincible, is unsurpassed. The ancient Jedi on board is determined to destroy the Sith. But for Jaden, even more is at stake: for his vision has led him to uncover a potentially indestructible threat to everything the Jedi Order stands for. (Amazon.com)

Review:

Crosscurrent is set some 41.5 years after the events of A New Hope…and some five thousand years before that. Crosscurrent is told through a series of flashes from the past and the “present”. It’s very much about threads of fate, plots and events of the past coming to fruition in the future.

Now most of the time this way of storytelling can be jarring. I’ve put books down and left them on the shelf because of this. Usually it’s hard to keep the flow of interest going on two simultaneous stories.

The author does a masterful job in tying the two together as well as keeping both halves of the story exciting. He makes it really work. I do love being surprised!

Without spoiling anything I can say that the story (stories) definitely nail the Star Wars vibe. Sith vs. Jedi showdowns, space battles, star fighter chases, smarmy cantinas, cryptic force-visions and how they play out…all really well done.

A lot of the names from Star Wars canon are mentioned, but the reader is bashed up-side the head with them. It would be easy to make up a formulaic “Star Wars” Story, slap some canon names on things and call it good, but Paul S. Kemp actually crafts a very thoughtful story. It’s not preachy (as some Star Wars novels have been.)

You can certainly see a difference in the Jedi of ages past versus Jedi of “The New Order” but you can see similarities too. They are still Jedi. I think in a lot of ways “The New Order” Jedi have to be a bit more contemplative: seeing more shades of grey than the Jedi of old (which I think led to their fall).

Crosscurrent is a stand-alone novel. You don’t need to read anything else before reading it, which is nice. This is a great book to give to people that haven’t read a Star Wars novel before, or if they’ve read them all: I think the story stands up nicely.

I did have to go back and re-read a few bits. Occasionally I got confused on whether I was reading X’s story or Y’s story. This is to be expected, especially when the whole thing is a series of flashbacks (and flash forwards.) I did get a bit confused on names too, but I think that is because I’m reading the PDF version and not a paper book where I can easily flip back to the “Cast of Characters” page for handy reference.

The author does a fine job of keeping the reader on their toes. I wasn’t sure where the story would lead or who would die or not. I think that’s a great thing in storytelling (something many authors don’t seem to achieve).

I love to be kept guessing as well as being wrong in my assumptions of where the plot is going. Granted there were a couple groaner events, but still…a really great story.

One part in-particular wraps nicely around a card game. Beautifully crafted scene. Very well done. That is one of the best negotiations I’ve seen in a long while. There are funny moments and great dialogue and some full-stop moments that will have you scratching your head.

About halfway through the novel you have an “Oh Crap” moment and everything starts falling together. At this point if you weren’t snagged by the author’s hooks, you are now!

Rating:

Overall, it’s a fun ride with lots of bumps, twists and turns. Good sci-fi in general, smart Star Wars fiction in particular.

4 of 5 stars!

Review by Jeff Preston

Related posts:

1. Shadowrealm Fiction Review
2. Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter Review

Available at Amazon.com

Details:
Dark Creed by Anthony Reynolds
Black Library Publishing
413 pages

Description:
Dark Creed is the thrilling conclusion to the Word Bearers trilogy, and sees epic conflicts fought and old scores settled in the world of Warhammer 40,000.

Review:
Dark Apostle is the third in the Word Bearers series and the culmination of a massive plot. Of course when you consider that the Word Bearers and other Traitor Legions are over 10,000 years old and their schemes stretch over millennia it’s hard to grasp the scope of such a “plot”. Wheels within wheels and the Word Bearers are plotters in the extreme.

The story of Dark Apostle Marduk continues and his goal of using the ancient Necron technology to essentially propel himself higher up the food chain and bring as much chaos to the Imperium as possible is fought with peril from within and without.

As any reader vaguely familiar with the material can surmise, Chaos Space Marines, while disciplined are still suffering from some serious testosterone poisoning. They’re all plotting and scheming to be the Alpha Male. That mush is established. Unlike say the World Eaters, the Word Bearer Legion has their own way of pursuing personal goals (vendettas?) and Anthony Reynolds does a great job of breaking it all down so we as readers can follow these spider-web plots (without dumbing it down too much).

Seriously…I have to commend Mr. Reynolds for his deft handling of the story. He gives good insight to the inner workings of the Word Bearers as well as the White Consuls Space Marines (and many others) who are working in opposition to Marduk’s plans. Without spoiling anything let it suffice to say that the scale of the novel is pretty ginormous. Epic. Sector fleets, multiple hosts of the Word Bearers, several chapters of Astartes as well as innumerable Imperial Guardsmen and the various Titan Legions. (Much of this is inferred or happens off-screen)

This is a novel with a lot of moving parts. Tons going on. Anthony Reynolds does a really good job of keeping it manageable for the reader. The battles range from naval engagements to gritty melee.

I’ve always found it difficult to get in to reading the Chaos-side of Warhammer novels. They seem so unbelievably over the top that I have a hard time suspending disbelief. Often with Space Marines as well…they seem too perfect. Chaos Space Marines in contrast become the most heinous thing ever. It’s too…black and white.

Anthony Reynolds does an admirable job in keeping things believable. Granted, there are still moments where the Astartes are perfectly heroic and the Chaos Marines are perfectly heinous. Still…my spidey-sense wasn’t going off and telling me to glaze over pages due to *yawn* more nail a baby to your forehead moments.

I think Mr. Reynolds does however have an excellent grasp on the dark, hopelessness of the Warhammer 40,000 universe. It’s a messed up place where a human is one among untold bajillions and nobody will miss your passing. The author definitely has this DOWN.

One think I do appreciate in this novel is that there appears to be very real peril around all the characters, including Marduk. Nobody is safe. Any of them can be crushed by falling beams, have their head blown off or simply die an ignoble death (which is SUCH an appropriate 40k thing).

My only complaint would be that due to the massive scope of the plot, there’s a lot of interesting things going on, and it’s easy to get lost. Granted Mr. Reynolds does a great job in showing us one scene, then shifting the camera elsewhere to see a scene…sometimes it’s easy to start wondering “Hey, what happened to Brother Bob?” Largely the author does a great job in keeping the suspense going. Still, there are some parts that I personally would have loved to see more of…but that’s really just a personal quibble. I think in reading we gravitate towards some characters more than others…and sometimes those characters aren’t really the focus of the story. Meh, it happens. Still a damn good book!

Rating:

Overall it’s a fitting ending (?) to the Word Bearer series.
A really good read whether a part of the series or as a stand-alone novel.
4/5

Review by Jeff Preston

Related posts:

1. Sons of Dorn Fiction Review
2. Shadow King Fiction Review
3. Courage and Honour Fiction Review

Available at Amazon.com

Details:
Sons of Dorn by Chris Roberson
Black Library Publishing
414 pages.

Description:
Sons of Dorn is a thrilling new Imperial Fists novel featuring a memorable cast of characters and all the intergalactic action associated with the Black Library.

Review:
It’s a familiar tale: enemy warriors fighting a desperate battle only to be snatched up and put through a grueling series of tests and implantations to become Astartes. Eventually they learn to be a team and work together (or die) as scouts, neophytes, etc. If you’ve read the Space Wolves Omnibus (specifically Space Wolf) by William King then you know the story. Honestly, if you’re a Space marine fan of any sort you likely are familiar with the story already. That’s all there is to know, right?

Wrong!

While the process of creating a Space Marine may be fairly well-trodden ground, this is very much an Imperial Fists book, and Imperial Fists aren’t your everyday Space Marine. The Imperial Fists are one of the original founding Legions, from which many smaller “chapters” were spawned. These aren’t Ultramarines or some other cookie-cutter Codex Astartes clone…and they take their identity serious. The book has a lot of unique Imperial Fist flavor to say the very least.

Add to this that Chris Roberson isn’t your everyday writer. He’s got a unique feel to his writing style. Where the Space Wolf stories read like Icelandic Sagas of superheroes who are greater than gods…Roberson makes Astartes supermen without making them perfect in every 4-color way. These guys have an ounce of humanity left in them. Unlike some stories that lead you to believe that Space Marines are these perfectly indoctrinated controlled psychopaths who are nigh unstoppable…Chris Roberson gives them a little bit of feeling. A bit of color. A bit of inner turmoil and gives us as readers a bit of insight in to what it would be like to undergo such a life altering event, complete with missing or fuzzy memories and added hypnotherapy weirdness…and deal with it without going nuts.

Roberson tells a good yarn. He’s really good at setting the stage, pacing and misdirection. He’ll trick you. Most of the time these sort of stories play out fairly predictably. Chris Roberson does a great job in keeping you going and throwing curves and twists at you.

Is it a unique story? No. It is however done in a very creative manner. To be honest, I wasn’t sure if another “making of a space marine” would be anything short of a snoozer, but Chris Roberson really does a great job at taking a well-worn concept and breathing fresh new life in to it.

Rating:
3 of 5 (4 of 5 for IF fans)
Definitely an enjoyable read! I want to see Chris Roberson get cut loose on some fresh material…I’m sure he’ll knock our socks off!

Review by Jeff Preston

Related posts:

1. A Thousand Sons Fiction Review
2. Dark Creed Fiction Review
3. Courage and Honour Fiction Review

Available at Amazon.com

Details:

Shadow King, a Tale of the Sundering by Gav Thorpe.
Black Library Publishing
522 Pages of visceral, bloody adventure.

Description:

When his family is betrayed and slain, Alith Anar, ill-fated prince of the Nagarythe, is forced to walk a dark path. With the island of Ulthuan in the grip of a civil war with their evil counterparts, the druchii, Alith Anar follows his destiny to become the Shadow King. Hunting his enemies from the darkness, he is now on a quest for vengeance that will never end.

Review:

A few months back Gav wrote a post in his blog regarding cutting out “faffy” words. A lot of writers use a lot of excess language to get a point across where Gav tends to cut to the meat of the story and carves his way through the pages at a fevered clip.

The Shadow King is another great example of this. To be honest I was hesitant about whether Thorpe could pull that off. I mean…over 500 pages. That seems pretty wordy to me. So I sat down and set about consuming and digesting this thick tome (larger than anything he’s written to date I believe page-wise. Don’t quote me but I *think* that is accurate.)

As per usual Gav gets right to it. The stage is set and things start going to hell…fast. This is the second book of The Sundering, following Malekith. I haven’t read the first book, and I understand that there is some overlap between the books: the first segment covers the events of Malekith from a different angle and the second segment delves in to wholly new territory.

Now having missed out on the previous novel, the intro is breakneck. This isn’t a complaint. Hardly so. I want the story…not a wordy intro on the same ol same ol. Some writers, even really good ones meander a bit when starting a novel. Gav tends to bull straight forward.

One of the best parts in reading Gav Thorpe’s books is that he’s a smart writer. He’s a pro when it comes to hooking you right in at the first few pages. He grabs you by the nose and drags you kicking and screaming down a road that you *KNOW* is going to end badly. Especially in writing about events considered “history” in the Warhammer Fantasy or Warhammer 40,000 universe.

A lot of the time we have the broad strokes of what the story is about far in advance of the novel ever being read. The story of Alith Anar is a prime example of that. We all know that Alith Anar is the last of his line, prince of Nagarythe. His family murdered, and his revenge is eternal. Blablabla. Yeah, we know.

The Shadow King delves in to territory we didn’t even know existed. He paints Morathi and the Witch King and others in vibrant colors. You get to understand a bit of the “why” of the story. You see just how far the elves had fallen in many cases and as a reader you can grasp the “why” of Alith’s plight and to a certain degree understand why he snaps the way he does. It’s a deep and treacherous story.

In many ways, the elves of Ulthuan are alien to us. They are elves. We’re human. They are different. They see life in a very different way. Almost a manic-depressive way I guess is a good way to describe it. To a certain degree we won’t fully understand the characters or their excesses…but where the writer really nails it is in illustrating them in such a manner that allows them to be seen as alien, but close enough that we can largely sympathize with the characters.

As a writer, in order to have a character we care about, we as readers need to be at least a little sympathetic. We have to understand. Thorpe is able to keep the Elves slightly alien while telling a story about a character whose whole world is utterly ruined and his subsequent rampage of death and revenge. In no way does the story leave you flat or uncaring or wanting to simply skip a page. Sometimes when we get bored with a character or what is happening we do that.

I think the main reason for this is because the characters aren’t bi-dimensional, 4-color comic book toons. Alith Anar is one messed up dude. Serious. He’s got problems. He’s not perfect. He’s not the shiny perfect High Elf lordling riding a pegasus whose farts sound like angels singing.

It’s not black and white. That’s really saying something considering how dark the druchii are. Think of Alith Anar as being kind of like an elven Batman. His scars are deep, and revenge…brutal. You almost feel sorry for the druchii…almost.

The battle scenes are epic in scale and seem tactically smart. Some thought on how forces would maneuver definitely went in to it. There is a definite feel of the mythic fairy tale of shimmering hosts, and gleaming spear tips and lances and coats of maille. Banners flying, beats on the ground and in the air. Seriously good battle than seems all mythic and shiny…and dwindles down in to the more brutal reality of the aftermath. Like it starts at sunrise and goes until a bloody sunset and a night of weeping over the dead. Really moving stuff. Then there are the skirmish-level bits: raiding caravans and Special Forces/ unconventional warfare stuff.

Again Gav Thorpe does a masterful job in playing our heart strings. It was a damn good read. 5/5 on this one. Previously I thought 13th Legion was his best, most visceral work. This one really matches it. I have a hard time admitting maybe better…but…maybe it is.

Five Stars out of Five!

Review by Jeff Preston

Related posts:

1. Sword of Justice Fiction Review
2. Nemesis Fiction Review
3. A Thousand Sons Fiction Review

Available at DriveThruComics.com

DragonArt: How to Draw Fantastic Dragons and Fantasy Creatures.
By Jessica “NeonDragon” Peffer.
2009 PDF Version (Advance Review Copy)
130 Pages.

Since my day-job is that of an illustrator I have a lot of “How to Draw…” books. Some of my favorites are Impact Books. Mechanicka (Doug Chang), John Howe: Fantasy Art Workshop and Bold Visions, the Digital Painting Bible by Gary Tonge. Impact has a good lineup of art books available. Some better than others: I thought the art in Fantastic Realms was horrid, and in general I’m not a fan of the heavily stylized Manga-style art (artbooks). For people in to the Manga style, Impact certainly has it covered.

DragonArt is geared for the young adult reader/ artist. That’s ok. Just because it is a “young adult” book doesn’t mean an adult like me couldn’t get good use of it. Actually I find some of the young adult art books do a wonderful job at breaking things down in a manner anyone can understand. Trust me, while I love my more adult Doug Chang/ Mechanika…it’s far FAR more complicated. The young adult books aren’t “for dummies” but they certainly can work that way which is awesome.If you have ever read/ used How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way (which as an illustrator it has a permanent place on my reference shelf. It’s where I started back in the 80′s) some bits will look familiar.

DragonArt covers all the nuts and bolts of basic critter illustration from what is functionally a stick figure, to basic shapes like cylinders/ tubes, boxes, etc. It gets in to anatomy in comparison to real animals (which is crucial in “selling” the image to viewers) as well as perspective and scale. Basic shading (stippling, hatching, cross-hatching, etc) as well as Ink and Color are touched on.

Not only is the basic “western dragon” covered from almost every angle, but so are other varieties. A sizeable portion is given to “other fantasy creatures” such as gargoyles, gryphons, pegasi and unicorns, etc. All of the foundations used previously apply here as well…stick figures, shapes, detailing, pencils, ink, and color.

Overall it’s a fun book with a wealth of good info for new as well as experienced illustrators who are interested in drawing fantasy critters. It definitely has a place on my shelf. The writing is solid and clear. Layout nice and crisp. Artwork is also good.

This isn’t Todd Lockwood-style illustration…it’s not that sort of book. I say the word “Basic” here a lot and it applies. This is a basic book geared for the young adult and beginner artist…and as such it does a perfect job at nailing down the subject matter in a clear, concise manner.

Overall I give it 5 stars out of 5.

Review by Jeff Preston

Related posts:

1. Dave Gross on Dark Fantasy in Kung Fu Movies
2. Fantasy World Building for Indie Film
3. Fantasy Craft: Call to Arms Review

Available at Amazon.com

The Marvel Encyclopedia 2009 Revised Edition
by Tom DeFalco, Peter Sanderson,  Tom Brevoort,  Michael Teitelbaum, Daniel Wallace, Andrew Darling and  Matt Forbeck.

Celebrate 70 years of Marvel Comics with The Marvel Encyclopedia! Fully updated with new images and text, this one-volume encyclopedia contains more than 1,000 of Marvel’s greatest-from well-known characters such as Spider-Man, the Hulk and Wolverine to lesser known heroes and villains.

An essential book both for new fans and for those who grew up loving the comics, The Marvel Encyclopedia is full of artwork, stats, and history for every character in the Marvel Universe. Updates on characters include information from the story arcs of Civil War and Annihilation, and brings fans up to date with the aftermath of Secret Invasion.

This is a massive tome of all things Marvel. Seriously. It’s a 50 pound hardcover of comic book awesome! Ok, maybe not 50 pounds, but it’s a bullet stopper for sure!

I’ve been a fan of Marvel Comics since I was a kid and the comics took a massive jump to a whopping 35 Cents! Comics have changed so much over the years. More than I knew before delving in to the Marvel Encyclopedia. Holy CRAP! This book delves in to every character, major and minor That I have ever heard of and many I hadn’t. It gives all kinds of details on origins, secret identities, story arcs and issues they are showcased in.

As always, the artwork is stunning. There are several large entries for special groups and events like The Avengers, The Death of Captain America, Civil War, The Gods of Asgard and the many variations of The Hulk.

One of the nicest things about the Marvel Encyclopedia is that you can catch up on a lot of the important story arcs. For example the X-Men entry explains several of the more convoluted plots and ties them together nicely (Story A ties also to House of M and Story B dovetails in to The Illuminati and then in to Civil War). I’ll be honest…I haven’t been able to keep up with all the titles Marvel produces for many years. Actually I only ever kept up with a few at a time and then picked up tie-in issues where I could. I usually missed out on several awesome stories until the graphic novels came out. One thing that’s extra nice is that with the Marvel Encyclopedia you know how and where to find all the best parts of each series like the Mutant Massacre, Coming of Apocalypse and the Secret Wars.

In perfect time for the Halloween season we have tons of examples of cool costumes for the kids, and dark heroes (anti-heroes?) for the adults. Blade, Dr. Strange, Magneto, Emma Frost, Thor and The Punisher all deal with the darker-side of the Marvel universe. I mean, you can’t get much darker than Mephisto!

This is a fantastic collection of Marvel Comics lore. As awesome as this tome of knowledge is, I think it is the art that makes it really pop. Every single page is heavily laden with art from the respective series’; easily over a thousand images of heroes, villains, sidekicks and monsters. This is a fantastic book. How do I rate it? 400 Pages of hardbound Marvel Comics goodness! ‘Nuff Said.

Review by Jeff Preston

Related posts:

1. Death of Dracula No. 1 Comic Review

Available at Amazon.com
Also available at DriveThruFantasy.com

The Ghost King: Transitions Book III, By R.A. Salvatore
(Advance Reader Copy)
Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: Wizards of the Coast (October 6, 2009)

When the Spellplague ravages Faerûn, Drizzt and his companions are caught in the chaos. Seeking out the help of the priest Cadderly–the hero of the recently reissued series The Cleric Quintet–Drizzt finds himself facing his most powerful and elusive foe, the twisted Crenshinibon, the demonic crystal shard he believed had been destroyed years ago.

I think one of the coolest parts of writing reviews is not only getting to read a lot of material, but to really get in to the nuts and bolts of how that material is “assembled”. In this case I have been fortunate to read a LOT of Forgotten Realms novel by R.A. Salvatore as well as others such as Paul Kemp. Having read all the “Drizzt Novels” to date, I can say with certainty that the author has improved his craft greatly over the years.

R.A. Salvatore, like any writer clearly has a deep relationship with many of his characters. While some writers are able to outline and crank out material in a mechanical fashion more often then not they go through a sort of adventure of their own; discovering the world and characters as they write. It’s like a journey for the characters as well as the writer. In doing so the author learns to love and hate characters and tries to share it with us…the readers.

I think it is a measure of success when the author is able to manipulate the heart-strings of the reader, and R.A. Salvatore has done a masterful job at this over the years. Some times more than others, I admit it. I don’t expect a baseball player to hit a home run every time at the plate. I don’t expect a writer to write “the perfect novel” every time either. Stephen King is a good example of this.

R.A. Salvatore has been building up steam throughout this whole series. Transitions. In the Transitions series we are seeing the tale of how Faerun is going through some massive changes. Much of the face of The Forgotten Realms will be different afterward. At the heart of this are changes in direction and flavor of D&D 4th Edition and the 4e Forgotten Realms setting.

Like it or not, love it or hate it, Wizards of the Coast owns D&D and the setting that these novels reside in, and they have mandated change.

Our intrepid author is responsible for writing novels explaining how we get from the Forgotten Realms we have all known for the past 25 years…to this new setting.

What does that mean for the author? It means that in the jump in time that occurs the vast majority of humans and short-lived races will have died and left some sort of legacy (or not). Many of the characters which have been so lovingly crafted will die. That means core protagonists (and antagonists) will be no more.

R.A. Salvatore in this series has been building this up, and I have to say, he has most certainly delivered.

Without spoiling the story for you, I’ll say that all the protagonists and antagonists have a rough ride through the story. The Spellplague is up-close and personal in this novel. Actually, previous to this novel I thought the Spellplague to be a little trite. A game designer’s tool to wipe the slate clean and start fresh. Salvatore put a “human” face on it, made it personal. Now I get it. Now I understand it and accept it and in the process understand how we can leave the previous edition’s Faerun for the new future.

I can’t help to feel sorry for the author in this. You can certainly feel the pain. You know something is coming. It’s like watching a train wreck…you just can’t look away. This is a book of heroism in the face of impossible odds. Acceptance of fate as well as stoic denial of it. It’s about loss…and hope.

There is only so much I can say about it. Usually I can drone on and on about this or that in a novel. Not this time. You have to read it for yourself. It’s good. Seriously. Probably R.A. Salvatore’s best work. I cried like a baby. It took several tries to get through the last dozen pages.

Review by Jeff Preston

Related posts:

1. The Pirate King Fiction Review
2. Shadowrealm Fiction Review
3. Promise of the Witch King Review