It is generally unwise to read books that are based on computer games, I should think... There is at least one other awful one out there for Warhammer fans, and this one is hardly a hidden gem or anything. To be fair, I must point out that I never played the game, so I don't actually know if it follows the plot and structure of the "story mode" or whatever they may have called it.
This takes me directly to one of the major weaknesses of the book: It is essentially a series of quests, basically from the perspective of two characters, one good, one evil. Again, this may be how the game was played, ie a career of some sort for either a good or evil player, or maybe just the good. I won't be revealing too much by saying that the title refers to the back story of the protagonist, and that he does prevail in the end. A few twists and turns along the way, but nothing major, if one is a veteran reader of Warhammer lit. What may irk some is the loose stringing together of quests/battles featuring characters that tend to be a bit two-dimensional. People who play a lot of video games may not be bothered by that, or at least used to it, but there is no attempt (presumably as per instructions) to hide that the game is the basis of the novel. This also comes across in the choice of races featured. They don't quite manage to throw them all in there, but some appear in only the most basic way and seem to have the literary equivalent of a walk on part, or perhaps cardboard cut outs.
Reynolds is certainly one of the better authors in the Warhammer gallery, and you can't really fault the writing. There IS no room to flesh out the characters or give them more convincing motives or personalities. They're all painted up stereotypes, moving along. There is a good pace, and the book is so easy to grasp, follow and digest that it is a very smooth and quick read. That's not an entirely good thing, and I wonder how it was an author, to basically sit there beefing up a computer game, rather than allowing a plot to evolve more organically. This said, I can't fault the effort at all, and I imagine that all boxes were ticked by editors. There is perhaps a bit of idiocy along the way with people who have killed "thousands" (Really? One guy? How many folks live in the Old World?) and some questionable strategies in the battles, but hey...
Details to flesh out the setting are quite minimal, and anyone familiar with Warhammer already will certainly not read this and learn anything. In fact they are at a disadvantage, as the plot would be more interesting to a complete novice, although one may not have a clue what these skaven (spoiler! Gasp!) are about, and how they live and what they do, even after reading the book. Maybe that's meant to entice you further into Warhammer, or maybe it all just had to be kept under 400 pages, so the skaven received a bit less love than they deserved.
All in all, I would recommend this book to kids, parents who read to their kids, commuters, snowed in folks or perhaps fan of the computer game. As an adult, I felt a bit like I had been eating from the kids' menu or something.
I give it two and a half skulls. Three, if you are 11 years old.
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