320 pages
(*Note. I actually read and reviewed this months ago, but neglected to post it. My apologies.)
(*Note. I actually read and reviewed this months ago, but neglected to post it. My apologies.)
Description:
The world of Warhammer is filled with stories of survival and bravery, and also with tales of death and dishonour. This collection explores those themes with stories from some of Black Library's leading authors including Nathan Long, Anthony Reynolds, CL Werner and many more...http://blacklibrary.com
Review:
Red Snow by Nathan LongA Gotrek and Felix short. Mr. Long does a fine job in telling a gritty, pulpy story. A strong starter story for this anthology! My interest in Gotrex and Felix is renewed! (I'm hunting down the original tales now) 4 of 5
The Assassin's Dilemma by David Earle
A Skaven tale of treachery. I've never read any stories from the Skaven point of view before, and this was actually a pretty fun read. Enjoyable! 3 of 5
Rest Eternal by Anthony Reynolds
This one is really good. For a short story you get a brilliant picture of the characters involved that a lot of authors don't seem to achieve. This one is about a Bretonnian Questing Knight and his peasant squire and dealing with a beat on the edges of Bretonnia and The Empire. Without spoiling it, a damn fine read! 4 of 5
The Miracle at Berlau by Darius Hinks
I admittedly re-read this a couple times. It's a good story, but as I sometimes do, I got confused on what was happening. I'm not sure if it was an issue of mine or the plot. It certainly has a grim and gritty feel to it mixed with the weirdness of creepy critters. 2 of 5
Noblesse Oblige by Robert Earl
A Florin and Lorenzo tale in a pulpy style akin to Fritz Leiber's Lankhmar. The plot is doable, the intro to it amusing (and dark) and the main characters properly morally ambiguous (as is fitting in old school sword and sorcery fiction). A fun read! 3 of 5
The Last Ride of Heiner Rothstein by Ross O'Brien
A fine contrast to the previous short story: far more serious and dark. The started off exceptional: a band of pistoliers acting like ...young soldiers. Telling stories, getting a little drunk and doing admittedly stupid things. Threaded in are serious conversations and good character-building. The scene shifts suddenly and the pace quickens. Things get a little confused but ends in an appropriately "warhammer" way. 3 of 5
Broken Blood by Paul Kearney
I really liked this one. A story of two brothers ending up on different sides of the line. This would make a fine prequel to a novel.The plot is simple, no real complications here, but it plays out nicely. 3 of 5
The Judgment of Crows by Chris Wraight
Chris Wraight always tells a good tale, and this is another one. This one is steeped in magic of the Amethyst Order, undead and treachery. A fine example of dark fantasy very fitting and unique to the Old World. 3 of 5
Wolfshead by C. L. Werner
Brunner is a fun pulpy character who would easily fit in the Old West. This is another good example of a bounty hunter, anti-hero and bastard. If Brunner was made in to a film, it would have to be played by Vin Diesel. 3 of 5
Rating:
An excellent anthology of old world goodness. Anyone interested in getting a taste of the Warhammer universe should pick it up. Many of the short stories in here are penned in such a manner that I wish the stories were longer. Full-fledged novels. Like most short story anthologies we get just a taste of a story rather than a meal.
No comments:
Post a Comment