Of the somewhat frightening amount of Warhammer books that I have read, I must say that these are so far the best. By a mile or so. That's not counting Warhammer 40K where people inform me that there are some other juicy finds, but this two book series so far kicks the crap out of any other Warhammer book that I have read.
The plot is GOOD. We follow the downward spiral of Empire soldier Karl Hoche as he becomes... touched by Chaos and embroiled in plots that threaten the security of the Empire and involve several secret organisations. It is perhaps not so much a descent as it is the deconstruction of Hoche, and a transformation into... well, lets not give it all away here. This takes place as Archaon's hordes march on the Empire, yet there are not many big battle sequences and tedious "Battle reports", so do not avoid this book just because it plays out among big name characters (Luthor Huss, Valten, Gamov) or take place during one of the great metaplot events in the Warhammer world. It remains a personal story of one man's doom, and we are not so swept up in big events that we lose track of individual character's humanity (or lack there of), motives, feelings, etc. Basically, this book is about what someone does when having lost everything, and fighting a losing battle. It is about defiance and survival, about making the most of situations.
The writing is crisp, and the plot is intelligent. I was not bored at any point, and that was not due to full on action non stop, but rather due to a clever balancing of mystery, paranoia and dread. Hoche's world is grim, and Hoche grows grimmer and grimmer till he fits it. It is a trust no one story (slightly undermined by the presence of famous characters) of personal horrors that plays out among big events. We are treated to enough details to get a distinct sense of the Warhammer World, and so this is not a story (like some others I have reviewed) that could be transported to a different fantasy universe with a few minor alterations. It is Warhammer through and through without selling you any miniatures or games, something which is rampant in other Warhammer books. Wallis writes good characters, believable and multi-faceted, imperfect and interesting, and he writes a good anti-hero. Combat scenes are mainly quick and dirty, the violence is gritty, and Chaos is truly horrific, disgusting and ... everywhere.
Is there nothing bad about this book? Well... I suppose some might find it a bit cynical at times. Again, I do not want to give anything away, but there are several characters in the book who come to a largely undeserved end. There is no justice in this book. This is like Clint Eastwood's "Unforgiven" with a vengeance in the sense that life sure as hell does not reward the righteous and punish the wicked, so prepare to give up a few "aww, maaaan..." along the way. Looking with critical eyes on this book, it may even be said that the nicest guys finish last, or rather, that they come to the most brutal early deaths. Is that intentional? Possibly. Hoche is not a hero, and he is not written as such either, and so he possesses a hard edge that few of us would hope to have, and he may not even go down as very likeable. I think that IS the point, though.
Rating: 5 out of 5. Dog's bollocks. Warhammer World as it should be.
